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What is the story about?
Oh boy, this one’s a real challenge, and we have all been there. Getting friends and family together, picking a destination (almost always Goa), finding the perfect stay (inevitably somewhere in North Goa), booking flights, and hoping everyone actually makes it to the beach in time to scream “Happy New Year!” together. Relatable, right?
But what if planning that trip didn’t have to be such a task?
In an exclusive conversation with CNBCTV18.com, Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder and Group CEO of MakeMyTrip, shared details of an upcoming initiative, ‘Travel Ka Muhurat’, which aims to help travellers book flights and stays in a few clicks, whether within India or abroad, while keeping their holiday plans budget-friendly.
Magow said the month-long sale is not just another festive offer, but a first-of-its-kind initiative that takes Indian travellers' approach to planning year-end holidays. Under the sale MakeMyTrip has partnered with over 25 leading airlines, 30 hotel chains, and major banking partners to offer significant value across flights, stays, and holiday packages, anywhere in the world.
Also read | Can Dubai steal Las Vegas' travel thunder by launching casinos?
According to Magow, the idea behind Travel Ka Muhurat is to create a "calendar moment" that marks the start of India's year-end travel. The first edition of Travel Ka Muhurat will run from October 29 to November 30, 2025, featuring exclusive early access for MMTBLACK members and limited inventory offers available daily between 6 and 9 pm.
Responding to concerns about soaring prices during festive and peak travel periods, especially in destinations such as Goa, Magow explained that the sale encourages early booking for better rates. "If you are able to book in advance during this period, the offers are going to be super exciting," he said and explained that even for peak travel dates, while the relative discounts might be smaller than off-season ones, they will still be very attractive."
When asked how the sale would work, the MakeMyTrip CEO said, that while the surge in seasonal pricing is common across destinations such as Rajasthan, where wedding seasons influence rates, MakeMyTrip’s offers are designed to help travellers access better deals irrespective of the season.
Also read | India’s 'festive quarter': How micro-holidays and tier-2/3 demand are powering hospitality growth
He addressed the issue of limited flight capacity in certain destinations like the Andamans. “There will always be a capacity constraint in some destinations where we don’t have too many flights, but initiatives like this can fundamentally change demand patterns. If there is strong demand, our partners, airlines especially can respond dynamically and add extra flights to any destination.
Also read | Tourism the highest job generator per dollar invested, has big investment scope: Piyush Goyal
Moreover, under the campaign, MakeMyTrip has partnerships with banks such as HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, and HSBC Bank, which are offering weekly discounts throughout the period, supported by Visa and RuPay as network partners. The first week of the campaign will offer up to 15% instant discount on HDFC Bank credit cards until November 2, 2025.
When asked about cancellations, Magow assured that MakeMyTrip would remain accountable to its customers. "If a partner ends up cancelling a booking for reasons beyond the traveller's control, it becomes our responsibility to provide a similar property for the traveller. "We'll either provide an alternative stay of equal standard or ensure a full refund. That's what we mean by MakeMyTrip’s responsibility."
But what if planning that trip didn’t have to be such a task?
In an exclusive conversation with CNBCTV18.com, Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder and Group CEO of MakeMyTrip, shared details of an upcoming initiative, ‘Travel Ka Muhurat’, which aims to help travellers book flights and stays in a few clicks, whether within India or abroad, while keeping their holiday plans budget-friendly.
Magow said the month-long sale is not just another festive offer, but a first-of-its-kind initiative that takes Indian travellers' approach to planning year-end holidays. Under the sale MakeMyTrip has partnered with over 25 leading airlines, 30 hotel chains, and major banking partners to offer significant value across flights, stays, and holiday packages, anywhere in the world.
Also read | Can Dubai steal Las Vegas' travel thunder by launching casinos?
According to Magow, the idea behind Travel Ka Muhurat is to create a "calendar moment" that marks the start of India's year-end travel. The first edition of Travel Ka Muhurat will run from October 29 to November 30, 2025, featuring exclusive early access for MMTBLACK members and limited inventory offers available daily between 6 and 9 pm.
Responding to concerns about soaring prices during festive and peak travel periods, especially in destinations such as Goa, Magow explained that the sale encourages early booking for better rates. "If you are able to book in advance during this period, the offers are going to be super exciting," he said and explained that even for peak travel dates, while the relative discounts might be smaller than off-season ones, they will still be very attractive."
When asked how the sale would work, the MakeMyTrip CEO said, that while the surge in seasonal pricing is common across destinations such as Rajasthan, where wedding seasons influence rates, MakeMyTrip’s offers are designed to help travellers access better deals irrespective of the season.
Also read | India’s 'festive quarter': How micro-holidays and tier-2/3 demand are powering hospitality growth
He addressed the issue of limited flight capacity in certain destinations like the Andamans. “There will always be a capacity constraint in some destinations where we don’t have too many flights, but initiatives like this can fundamentally change demand patterns. If there is strong demand, our partners, airlines especially can respond dynamically and add extra flights to any destination.
Also read | Tourism the highest job generator per dollar invested, has big investment scope: Piyush Goyal
Moreover, under the campaign, MakeMyTrip has partnerships with banks such as HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, and HSBC Bank, which are offering weekly discounts throughout the period, supported by Visa and RuPay as network partners. The first week of the campaign will offer up to 15% instant discount on HDFC Bank credit cards until November 2, 2025.
When asked about cancellations, Magow assured that MakeMyTrip would remain accountable to its customers. "If a partner ends up cancelling a booking for reasons beyond the traveller's control, it becomes our responsibility to provide a similar property for the traveller. "We'll either provide an alternative stay of equal standard or ensure a full refund. That's what we mean by MakeMyTrip’s responsibility."
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