Flight ticket prices to cities that are hosting the 2018 World Cup have grown an average 230 percent according to research by the RBC business portal.
RBC compiled the data based on prices for return tickets as of December 20.
Prices to Volgograd, which will host group stage matches, increased the most. Instead of the 6,300 rubles ($109) for flights from Moscow at the beginning of summer, football fans will have to pay 30,000 to 40,000 rubles for flights near to match days.
Similarly, tickets to Yekaterinburg from Moscow, Sochi and Kaliningrad, which usually cost 7,500 rubles in the summer, spiked to 20,000 to 40,000 rubles near match days.
The Federal Antimonopoly Service has promised to work with airline companies to stabilize prices. It also noted that football fans with match tickets will be able to book places on free trains that will transport World Cup visitors between host cities.
Although free of charge, this solution may not appeal to all football fans, as train journeys can last from 24 to 42 hours, like the trip between Moscow and Sochi, and some destinations do not have a direct connection.
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