Indian skies have seen a flurry of airlines come and go since the domestic aviation policy was liberalized to allow private entrants 20 odd years ago. With the arrival of any new player on the scene, a question one is wont to ask is how long will this one survive? After all, staying afloat in Indian skies is no mean feat (and we are not even talking about being profitable here). It is with little fanfare IndiGo airline was launched a few years ago and today is the poster boy of Indian aviation.
Whats going for the airline :
1. IndiGo has an impressive almost hard-to-believe punctuality record. The inflight crew refers to departure and arrival times as IndiGo Standard Time and not without reason. The on-time performance is a real feat in the Indian context and this makes IndiGo the preferred choice for business travelers also now.
2. Fares are very competitively priced and if you book a month in advance, you can grab some really good offers. Of late, they have even introduced 'sale fares' on select routes for off season travel.
3. Aircrafts are spanking new and well maintained. In line with practices at low cost carriers like Ryan Air and Easy Jet, food containers and other trash is collected by inflight crew as the plane prepares for landing. This allows for a quick turnaround time between flights as only a quick vacuum cleaning is needed once all passengers have disembarked.
4. IndiGo is truly a non-frill airline. You pay for a seat and that is literally what you get. Any additional service (priority boarding and disembarkation, choice of meal served etc) attracts additional charges.
5. Free checked-in baggage allowance of 15 kgs/pax coupled with 7 kgs of hand baggage allowance might seem low in the Indian context but compared with international peers, is quite generous.
6. Connectivity offered within India is excellent and on some routes, IndiGo has a clear monopoly. Their biggest USP is connecting India's metros to Tier II and Tier III cities with direct flights.
What could do with some help :
1. There is a wide variety of beverages offered onboard. However, be wary if you are ordering any dishes which should ideally be savoured hot. From the rice dishes to sandwiches, expect to eat everything cold as there are no heating facilities onboard. Very disappointing really.
2. International fares are a downer. You might get the odd good deal to Singapore / Dubai but most often, Indigo is way over-priced over national carriers of these countries (SQ/EK) and mind you, those are full service providers with meals et al included and these inclusions do make a difference on 3-6 hour flights.
3. In line with a rising trend amongst Indian carriers, penalty for date change is quite high. IndiGo charges INR 1000 per date change against the higher INR 1200 charged by Jet Airways.
Overall rating : 8/10. IndiGo is by far the best Indian airline operating at the moment. It's admirable on-time performance record has made it a clear favourite with travelers of all kinds. With the impending arrival of Air Asia on the Indian scene, it will be interesting to watch how IndiGo rises to the challenge of competing with one of the world's most successful low cost carriers and holds its own. Watch this space.
Whats going for the airline :
1. IndiGo has an impressive almost hard-to-believe punctuality record. The inflight crew refers to departure and arrival times as IndiGo Standard Time and not without reason. The on-time performance is a real feat in the Indian context and this makes IndiGo the preferred choice for business travelers also now.
2. Fares are very competitively priced and if you book a month in advance, you can grab some really good offers. Of late, they have even introduced 'sale fares' on select routes for off season travel.
3. Aircrafts are spanking new and well maintained. In line with practices at low cost carriers like Ryan Air and Easy Jet, food containers and other trash is collected by inflight crew as the plane prepares for landing. This allows for a quick turnaround time between flights as only a quick vacuum cleaning is needed once all passengers have disembarked.
4. IndiGo is truly a non-frill airline. You pay for a seat and that is literally what you get. Any additional service (priority boarding and disembarkation, choice of meal served etc) attracts additional charges.
5. Free checked-in baggage allowance of 15 kgs/pax coupled with 7 kgs of hand baggage allowance might seem low in the Indian context but compared with international peers, is quite generous.
6. Connectivity offered within India is excellent and on some routes, IndiGo has a clear monopoly. Their biggest USP is connecting India's metros to Tier II and Tier III cities with direct flights.
What could do with some help :
1. There is a wide variety of beverages offered onboard. However, be wary if you are ordering any dishes which should ideally be savoured hot. From the rice dishes to sandwiches, expect to eat everything cold as there are no heating facilities onboard. Very disappointing really.
2. International fares are a downer. You might get the odd good deal to Singapore / Dubai but most often, Indigo is way over-priced over national carriers of these countries (SQ/EK) and mind you, those are full service providers with meals et al included and these inclusions do make a difference on 3-6 hour flights.
3. In line with a rising trend amongst Indian carriers, penalty for date change is quite high. IndiGo charges INR 1000 per date change against the higher INR 1200 charged by Jet Airways.
Overall rating : 8/10. IndiGo is by far the best Indian airline operating at the moment. It's admirable on-time performance record has made it a clear favourite with travelers of all kinds. With the impending arrival of Air Asia on the Indian scene, it will be interesting to watch how IndiGo rises to the challenge of competing with one of the world's most successful low cost carriers and holds its own. Watch this space.
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