PATNA, March 3 -- The Union government's cap on airfares, implemented in November last year, helped ease the financial burden on passengers travelling home for Holi, with several key routes to Patna witnessing comparatively moderate fares and even last-minute deals this festive season. Travellers who waited until the eleventh hour to book tickets for March 3, a day before Holi, benefited from dynamic pricing within the capped limits, often paying significantly less than those who travelled earlier during the peak rush between February 28 and March 2. A Delhi-Patna ticket on IndiGo flight 6E 5008 was available for as low as Rs.6,371 for March 3 on the MakeMyTrip portal as of Monday evening (6.30pm). The flight departs at 7.10pm from the national capital and arrives in Patna at 8.45pm. On Holi day (March 4), the fare dropped further to Rs.4,822, only marginally higher than the month's lowest available fare of Rs.4,612 on the sector. On the Mumbai-Patna route, a March 3 ticket on SpiceJet flight SG-336 cost Rs.10,948, against the month's lowest fare of Rs.7,058. The same fare declined to Rs.7,268 on Holi. Similarly, a Bengaluru-Patna ticket on Air India Express flight IX1249, which departs at 1.35pm and arrives at 4.10pm, was priced at Rs.11,591 for March 3 and Rs.9,701 on March 4, compared with the month's minimum fare of Rs.7,285. Fares on the Hyderabad-Patna sector stood at Rs.10,447 for March 3 and Rs.10,089 on Holi, against the lowest monthly fare of Rs.6,686. On the Chennai-Patna route, tickets were priced at Rs.11,955 on March 3 and Rs.9,316 on Holi, compared to the month's minimum of Rs.6,180. Short-haul non-stop flights from Kolkata and Lucknow to Patna were more reasonably priced at Rs.5,081 and Rs.5,897, respectively, for March 3 bookings on the portal. "The government capping on airfares since November last year has saved travellers from paying through their nose. Last year, a Delhi-Patna ticket during Holi went up to Rs.24,000," said Kumud Ranjan of Mamta Travels in Patna. He added that passengers who waited till a day prior to book March 3 tickets saved several thousand rupees compared to those who travelled between February 28 and March 2, when economy class fares on low-cost carriers hovered around Rs.13,500, while full-service airlines charged up to Rs.16,500. However, return fares, especially around the weekend after Holi, were pegged higher than normal. A Patna-Delhi economy class ticket on a low-cost carrier was priced between Rs.9,093 and Rs.9,543 on March 7 and 8. On March 8, return fares from Patna were Rs.15,101 to Mumbai, Rs.13,423 to Bengaluru, Rs.10,906 to Chennai, Rs.11,337 to Hyderabad, Rs.4,302 to Kolkata and Rs.12,323 to Lucknow. "While the fare cap cushioned festive travellers from extreme price spikes, post-Holi return journeys continued to command premium rates amid sustained demand," said Anirudh Akhauri, a retired banker and frequent flyer....