NEW DELHI: Air India
economy class
domestic flyers opting for lower fare buckets will now have a
check-in baggage
allowance of 15 kg — instead of 25 kg earlier. All big Indian carriers offer 15 kg check-in to
domestic flyers
(without extra charge) and AI’s generous allowance used to be its USP for economy flyers within India that would somewhat make up for the long-awaited improved cabin product on the airline’s old planes.
Regarding this change, an AI spokesperson said: “We introduced a menu-based pricing model or branded
fare families
last year in line with global airline industry norms. Air India’s fare families, named ‘Comfort’, ‘Comfort Plus’, and ‘Flex’ are groupings of fares that offer different levels of benefits and fare restrictions at different price points. The fare families are designed to let our guests choose the kind of fare and services that best suit their requirement.”
“…Bundled fares offer a lot more value and greater choice to guests for less. For example, the price difference between our ‘Comfort Plus’ and ‘Flex’ fares would typically be about Rs 1,000 on a domestic sector like Delhi-Mumbai, with the ‘Flex’ fare providing value of nearly Rs. 9000, including 10 kg extra baggage, zero change or cancellation fees, more loyalty points, greater choice of free seats to choose from,” the spokesperson added.
Now on domestic routes in economy class, both ‘Comfort’ and ‘Comfort Plus’ fare families offer 15 kg baggage allowance, while ‘Flex’ provides 25 kg allowance. The Business Class
baggage allowance
on domestic routes ranges from 25 kg to 35 kg. The free baggage allowance on international flights varies from market to market, he added.
