Domestic airlines are offering many different enticements to passengers during the ongoing traditional lean season.
After Jet Airways announced a 30 percent discount earlier this week, Air India has come out with a scheme where free baggage allowance for domestic Economy Class travel has been increased to 25 kg from 15 kg till February next year.
Sources said a fare discount scheme is being prepared too by Air India after rival Jet's announcement earlier and could be announced by the end of the week. Not to be left behind, Vistara - the only other full service carrier - is also coming out with a fare discount scheme before the end of this week.
So why is Air India starting to dangle a carrot by first hiking the free baggage allowance by 10 kg? Industry officials point out that when some rival airlines (mainly LCCs) are looking to offer zero baggage fares, it makes sense for Air India to attract customers by going to the other end of this scale and actually increasing the free baggage allowance. SpiceJet and earlier AirAsia India have been keen to offer discounted fares for passengers with no checked in bags - such passengers would get charged extra for every piece of checked in bag. But aviation regulator DGCA has been frowning on these zero bag schemes, after Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma's clear diktat - no airline can deny 15 kg free checked in bags in Economy Class travel. While the airlines and the regulator slug it out over how much checked in luggage should be free of charge, Air India's quiet move on hiking baggage allowance may actually give it an edge over competitors.
Read news in full 12/08/15 First Post
After Jet Airways announced a 30 percent discount earlier this week, Air India has come out with a scheme where free baggage allowance for domestic Economy Class travel has been increased to 25 kg from 15 kg till February next year.
Sources said a fare discount scheme is being prepared too by Air India after rival Jet's announcement earlier and could be announced by the end of the week. Not to be left behind, Vistara - the only other full service carrier - is also coming out with a fare discount scheme before the end of this week.
So why is Air India starting to dangle a carrot by first hiking the free baggage allowance by 10 kg? Industry officials point out that when some rival airlines (mainly LCCs) are looking to offer zero baggage fares, it makes sense for Air India to attract customers by going to the other end of this scale and actually increasing the free baggage allowance. SpiceJet and earlier AirAsia India have been keen to offer discounted fares for passengers with no checked in bags - such passengers would get charged extra for every piece of checked in bag. But aviation regulator DGCA has been frowning on these zero bag schemes, after Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma's clear diktat - no airline can deny 15 kg free checked in bags in Economy Class travel. While the airlines and the regulator slug it out over how much checked in luggage should be free of charge, Air India's quiet move on hiking baggage allowance may actually give it an edge over competitors.
Read news in full 12/08/15 First Post
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