Air India

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Flight AI 682: Cochin – Mumbai, Air India, Economy

by Ajay 2 Comments

a plane with a ladder and people on it

Mumbai Airport Terminal 2 Clipper Lounge, Mumbai Terminal 2 Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, Kochi Airport Clipper Lounge Cochin If I haven’t mentioned this before, the Cochin Airport is made to look more like arriving at a red-brick palace than arriving at an airport. Here is what it looked from outside. We spent a brief moment pre-security at the dead Clipper Lounge, and then proceeded to clear security check, where I realised my palatial analogy was going to fit even better. This airport missed anything that was modern, and was full of wooden chairs (more like side pieces from couches) from another generation. My first time there and I sure was surprised. The wait was prolonged, because like it always happens,…

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Amex MR to adjust mileage transfer ratio (downwards) in India again

by Ajay 3 Comments

Last year, American Express went about readjusting the cost of transferring MR points into miles with various programs they partner with. While the usual transfer rate used to be 1.6 MR = 1 Mile, after last year’s readjustment everything except JPMiles and Air India Flying Returns Points, everything was 2 MR = 1 Mile. Now, as per email communication being sent out to members today, this will change as of May 2014 as well: Effective May 10, 2014, there will be a change in airline miles redemption for Jet Airways and Air India. The existing Membership Rewards redemption rate of 1 JPMile for every 1.6 Membership Rewards Points and 1 Air India Mile for every 1.25 Membership Rewards Points would…

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Air India status matches work

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Last week, I had written about the opportunity that existed to get Gold and Silver Status with Air India, depending on your Air India SBI Credit Card and your status with certain other competing airlines. While I had sent in my request for a status match a few days before I wrote about this post, I expected to do a follow-up or few with SBI Cards and/or Air India before getting this Gold Status, and I wasn’t even sure if I was going to get it or not. It did not matter much because at the moment I am a sporadic Air India flyer with most of my business with Jet Airways. Anyhow, there was radio silence from the other…

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Air India offering double miles in March–April 2014

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Air India put out a new promotion earlier this week, where they are offering double miles for flying on select routes from March 15, 2014 to April 30, 2014. These double miles are double for your eligible class of flying, and hence if you’re booked deep discount economy fares (E class, for instance), you will only get double of 25% of miles for the distance you fly (in case of domestic flights). And yes, Air India does offer 500 miles per sector as web booking bonus as well. Personally, I don’t find this a very attractive offer, since booking the same segments with Jet Airways would give me 100% of flown miles as credit, and 500 miles as online booking…

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Status Match available on Air India Flying Returns

by Ajay 18 Comments

SBI credit cards started to issue Air India co-branded credit cards last year, and they are maybe one of the best airline credit cards out there from an Indian perspective. Take an example, if you get the Signature version of the card, you get: 20,000 Air India miles to start-up on payment of first year annual fees 1 Air India upgrade voucher on sign-up 20,000 Air India miles bonus on spending INR 3 lakhs in the year 20,000 Air India miles bonus and Air India Silver Club status on spending INR 5 lakhs in the year 50,000 Air India miles bonus and Air India Gold Club status on spending INR 10 lakhs in the year Air India / SBI Cards…

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Air India considering pruning First Class service

by Ajay 1 Comment

As it prepares to join into the Star Alliance, Air India is also considering taking some wise measures to improve it’s balancesheet. As per the airline, the occupancy in First Class on its international routes is usually low, and a lot of government officials decide to upgrade themselves complimentary for this reason. As per the Economic Times, Air India is now taking steps towards closing down the First Class on its long haul routes such as Newark & Chicago. While this may not be happy news for award ticket seekers who would have loved to try out Air India, I guess it is a sensible decision to have a two class configuration, much in line with most other airlines around…

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Air India offers lounge access in Delhi for INR 500

by Ajay 7 Comments

Air India has been operating a new lounge at the Delhi Airport Terminal 3 since a few months now. While I haven’t been inside this lounge, I’ve walked by on my way to the other lounges at the Domestic wing of this terminal. It is an expansive lounge, with the looks of buffet meals, big couches and is generally empty, because most of the traffic is directed to the Plaza Premium Lounge by the credit card companies, Jet Airways and Priority Pass. However, Air India offers paid lounge access to this lounge for a small sum of INR 500 ($8) only per visit (valid for two hours), and you can also ask for a shower for another INR 200 to…

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Air India to introduce Premium Economy aka European Business Class on some routes

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Air India largely has deployed an Airbus 320 series fleet on domestic operations, but these come in two varieties: All Economy and Economy + Business seating. The decision to make all economy seating happened a couple of years back when Air India found itself not being able to sell premium cabins on non-metro routes to the extent it wished it could. Anyhow, they are now trying to monetise the limited opportunity that exists on some of these routes, such as Delhi – Guwahati – Imphal, with the introduction of a Premium Economy class of service on these A320 serviced routes. The strategy is similar to European carriers, who create a business class section on intra Europe routes by blocking off…

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Yet another Air India 30 day sale till 6th Feb 2014

by Ajay 2 Comments

I might just decide to rename this blog to the deals site or something, with the number for fare sales that are out there these days, however, I’ll just try and keep up with the barrage flowing through. This morning, I noticed, Air India has brought out their recently running +30 days sale again, where the period of sale is between 4th February 2014 and 6th February 2014. Period of Travel is 3rd March 2014 onwards. Here are the details. While the details look sketchy here, when I pulled up some sample fares, it looked like it is a rehash of the recent 30% off sales. But the good news is, you do have some more days to book up…

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Air India planning to offer inflight internet

by Ajay 1 Comment

Air India is trying to find a unique selling point to stay relevant to the travellers it serves, and in-flight internet might just be it from their perspective. After the new found acceptance from Star Alliance, they might just be trying to build a customer-focussed organisation. According to The Times of India, the airline is now investigating the proposition to buy and install wifi internet services on their planes. As per the report, the early steps have been taken to look at vendors, and while this may not indicate that it will have wifi anytime in the next few months or years, it is a start. AI chairman Rohit Nandan has set up a panel of top AI officials to…

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Last Chance: Air India 30 days+ sale ends today

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Last week, all the domestic airlines of India had brought out their fare sales, which was first started by Spicejet, and then followed by Indigo, Go Air, Air India and Jet Airways (Jet Konnect) in that order. While the other airlines have tempered it down and finished off with their sales over the weekend, reader Sriram Hariharan alerted me via Twitter that the Air India fare sale has been extended till the end of today. A notice on the Air India website reads, Air India announces the extension of the Jaldi Jaldi Sale offer. Discounted Fares on domestic sectors across the network Period of Sale : Upto 27th Jan 2014 Period of travel : 21st Feb till 15th April 14…

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