India, March 18 -- At any Indian wedding, the first question people ask the newlyweds is, "Honeymoon pe kaha jaa rahe ho?". But lately, that question is coming with a side of worry. With recent strikes and airspace closures, many couples are finding their dream honeymoon turned into travel nightmares. The ongoing tensions in the Middle East have led flight disruptions across key international routes. Popular honeymoon hubs like Dubai and major European cities have suddenly become harder, and more expensive, to reach. With fewer flights operating, ticket prices have shot up. "Fares on India-Europe routes have risen by 17-33%," and some tickets by up to 80%, says Hari Ganapathy, co-founder and CEO, Pickyourtrail. For Indian travellers, who often plan and save months in advance for a once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon, these unexpected costs are forcing difficult choices: postpone, scale down or change destinations entirely. In one widely reported case, a simple flight policy led to a heartbreaking separation for a honeymooning couple. As they didn't manage to get the tickets of the same flight, the wife, Zheng, managed to fly out of Doha and her husband, Yu, was scheduled for the next day. But before he could take off, the strikes began. He was left stranded in Doha for nearly two weeks, watching missiles explode in the sky from his hotel window, while his wife waited in Australia, where the husband works. For couples in India, the ripple effects are already visible. "We had our heart set on a luxury desert safari in Dubai, but our families were terrified when the news broke so we decided to postpone and requested the hotel to change our dates," says Mariam Shahid, Mumbai-based HR professional. The couple is now booking a stay in north-east India for a mini-moon, a short getaway before the big trip. Others are choosing to stay home. "We saved for a year to travel to Europe for our trip but our travel agent told us connecting flights are still a gamble, and rebooking with a direct flight is too expensive. Also, as a working couple, we can't afford too many leaves so we have decided to hold on and push it entirely," says Delhi-based ad consultant, Rubina Singh. Industry leaders note a dip in honeymoon travel amid uncertainty. "Couples. are being more cautious," says Radhika Khanijo, luxury travel designer at Welgrow Travels, with a shift away from long-haul plans. Hari Ganapathy adds that about 20-25% have postponed or reconsidered their plans: "The majority are choosing to remain flexible with travel dates, flight routes, or even destinations that remain easily accessible from India. Many are also booking closer to departure while monitoring route stability." Travel trends are shifting as couples seek easier destinations. "There is a layer of cautious recalibration. prioritising places that feel seamless to reach," says Yeishan Goel, Group CEO, Travel & Hospitality Representation Services (THRS). Bookings to Bali, Thailand, and Vietnam have risen, while "Japan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and South Korea are gaining traction," adds Pritish Shah, founder, A Travel Duet. Sarvjeet Sankrit, founder, Ghum India Ghum notes, "Couples are choosing locations that are within driving distance or within India. However, there's an increased interest in couples for Gangtok, Darjeeling, Pelling, and Shimla and Manali. Kashmir is also slowly picking up now."...