Air India to Continue Vistara Experience Post-merger; Vistara Aircraft to Operate Under New Code ‘AI 2’
Gurugram, October 18, 2024: Post the merger of Air India and Vistara, the experience offered by Vistara will continue for customers. Vistara aircraft will be operated by Air India and will be identified by a special four-digit Air India code beginning with the digit “2”.
For instance, UK 955 will become AI 2955, helping customer identify them while booking on www.airindia.com after November 12.
The routes and schedule operated by Vistara aircraft will continue to be the same, alongside the Vistara in-flight experience that includes the product and service such as menu and cutlery on the Vistara aircraft. It will also be serviced by the same crew.
The airline, through a multi-media campaign, also pointed out that the unified Air India opens up limitless possibilities for passengers including unparalleled connection to over 90 domestic and international destinations and over 800 more destinations through codeshare and interline partners.
The existing members of Club Vistara will be seamlessly transferred to Air India’s Flying Returns program. With this merger, Flying Returns will also evolve into an all-new avatar ‘Maharaja Club’.
In parallel, Air India’s narrowbody fleet continues to be upgraded with new aircraft being delivered, legacy aircraft being refitted with entirely new interiors and Vistara’s catering now also extended to Air India.
Air India’s widebody fleet has also been augmented with the entry of six A350 aircraft that have started to fly between Delhi and London and will soon operate between Delhi and New York.
Air India has started its retrofit program with the first A320neo narrow body aircraft going for retrofit in early September. 27 narrow body legacy aircraft will be totally refurbished and retrofitted and this retrofit is likely to be completed by the middle of 2025.
The retrofitted A320neo aircraft will feature 8 luxurious seats in Business, 24 extra legroom seats in Premium Economy and 132 comfortable seats in Economy, offering wider choice to its guests.
Subtle cabin lighting, spacious legroom and wider pitch, and modern features, like portable electronic device (PED) holders and USB ports with type A and C options to charge mobile phones, laptops and other gadgets, among others, will contribute significantly to offer guests an inflight experience catering to the needs of today’s discerning flyers. Carpets, curtains, upholstery, cabin panels will be refreshed with new tones and design motifs reinforcing the brand livery.
About Air India:
Founded by the legendary JRD Tata, Air India is a pioneer of Indian aviation. Since its first flight in 1932, Air India has built an extensive global network that spans 29 countries across five continents, connecting India with major destinations in USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Africa, Asia Pacific, Australia, and the Middle East.
After its homecoming in 2022, from the Government of India to the Tata group, Air India embarked on Vihaan.AI, a five-year transformation journey, with a vision to be a global airline with an Indian heart. The first two phases of this transformation, ‘Taxi’ and ‘Take-off’, were focused on fixing the basics and building foundations for growth. The airline has now entered the ‘Climb’ phase, which will focus on achieving excellence in operations and customer experience.
A member of Star Alliance, the largest global airline consortium of leading international airlines, Air India offers seamless connectivity to passengers as a full-service global airline, while its wholly owned subsidiary Air India Express operates as a low-cost airline flying within India and nearby countries.
