Air India’s move to launch basic fares, which are ex-meal fares, has prompted a response from IndiGo, India’s largest airline. The airline has just gone ahead and launched a Lite Fare family.
IndiGo launches Lite Fares.
IndiGo announced “IndiGo Lite Fares” today, available only when you book a fare directly on GoIndiGo.in or in the airline app. The airline’s new fare is offered without a checked bag allowance. Domestic carriers offer a 15-kilogramme baggage allowance at the minimum. The fare family is available for sale today, and will apply for flights July 15, 2026 onwards.
In exchange for giving up the checked-bag allowance, IndiGo promises these guests a fare lower than the airline’s regular fare.
Every route I checked, the fare difference was INR 158.
Speaking about the launch of the new IndiGo Lite fares, Aloke Singh, Chief Strategy Officer of IndiGo, said
At IndiGo, we continuously evolve our product offerings to stay aligned with the changing expectations of our diverse customer segments. Designed for customers who travel light and would like to pay only for the services they need, IndiGo Lite is another step towards building a strong, fit-for-purpose product portfolio. This reflects our agility in responding to the market dynamics while reinforcing our commitment to making travel more accessible and affordable for our customers.
Aloke was also one of the forces behind the launch of the XpressLite fares at Air India Express in 2024. Ironically, Zero Bag fares were on the list of things to do for IndiGo way back in 2021, when Sanjay Kumar was the CSCO.
LFAL Analysis
Only time will tell whether this will be a short-lived experiment or last for times to come. When AirAsia India, one of the original airlines behind Air India Express, launched a decade ago, they had a similar fare sans the baggage allowance. Even SpiceJet had Hand Baggage Only fares in 2014.
The DGCA did not appreciate no-bag fares a decade ago, but they wisened up in 2021 and allowed for the handbag-only “lower fares”.
Air India Express had beaten market leader IndiGo to this innovation in this whole spin and perhaps even forced their hand. However, I must say I was surprised when Air India launched no-meal fares but skipped the no-luggage part.
Bottomline
IndiGo has launched “handbag only” fares, called IndiGo Lite fares. These fares will be cheaper than the lowest baggage-included fares, but not by much. The fare is only bookable on IndiGo’s website and app. With this becoming the lowest fare family, the airline hopes that some people will give up 15 kg luggage allowance for an INR 158 discount.
What do you think of IndiGo’s new IndiGo Lite fares, and do you foresee using it?
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