Air India is on a reinvention journey, and many things are ever-evolving. Just last year, Air India introduced the concept of fare families. In simple terms, a fare family is a group of flight options with similar attributes that are offered at different price points and include different services and amenities. Now, they are already changing the rules of the game again.

Air India Introduces New Fare Families called Smart Fares.

Air India announced it has launched simplified and enhanced fare families across cabins. The airline has rebranded and restructured its fare families “to align with evolving customer preferences across markets”.

Just so you know, here are the earlier fare families introduced on July 17, 2023.

Effective October 17, 2024, Air India now offers a total of eight fare families across four cabin classes:

• Economy: Value, Classic, Flex
• Premium Economy: Classic, Flex
• Business: Classic, Flex
• First: First

Here is what changes in the domestic fares:

• • Economy Comfort becomes Value Fares:
    • Changeable against INR 3,000 fee (stays the same)
    • Non-refundable tickets become Refundable at INR 400
  • Economy Comfort Plus becomes Classic Fares:
    • Earlier
      • Free changes beyond 72 hours, INR 3000 within 72 hours of travel
      • Cancellation Fee INR 2,500 beyond 72 hours of travel and INR 3,500 within 72 hours of travel
    •  Now
      • The change fee is just INR 300 up to three days and INR 1000 within three days.
      • Cancellation Charges are INR 2000 for up to three days; after that, INR 3500
  • Economy Flex remains Economy Flex:
    • Free changes
      • Free Cancellation beyond 72 hours of travel and INR 2,500 within 72 hours of travel now becomes Cancellation Charges up to INR 1000

• Premium Economy Comfort Plus becomes Classic Fares
• Premium Economy Flex remains Flex

These are the rules for Domestic Fare Families.

The Rules for International Fare Families are as follows.

Basically, the fare families offer increasing baggage allowance and flexibility regarding cancellation and date changes for a nominal upsell value. Air India says it will continue to enhance its ancillary product offerings across these bundles over time to provide more choice and convenience to travellers. Air India’s fare families are now available on all domestic and international flights.

Restructured fare families for Europe and UK markets

Air India has also restructured its fare families on European and UK routes to align with market trends and offerings. It now offers travellers a more affordable ‘Value’ fare option, which provides one piece of checked baggage weighing 23kg with limited travel flexibility.

Travellers who seek a larger baggage allowance and greater travel flexibility can opt for the ‘Classic’ and ‘Flex’ fares, which continue to offer two pieces of checked baggage weighing 23kg each in Economy. ‘Value’ fares are available only for Economy class bookings.

All of these fare families are now bookable at AirIndia.com

Bottomline

Air India, for some benevolent reason, has cut down on their cancellation and change fees in an evolved version of their fare families. The airline also has a new fare just for European routes, where they give just one bag and make it cheaper.

What do you make of the new fare family rationalisation of Air India?

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