Air India reduces baggage allowance by 5-15 kg, bringing it in line with rest of industry

New Delhi: Air India has revised its baggage policy for domestic travel, with the allowance now reduced by 5-15 kg based on the ticket price chosen by the passengers. This adjustment aligns the airline’s baggage limits with those of its competitors.

Last year, Air India introduced a menu-based pricing model consisting of ‘fare families’ called Comfort, Comfort Plus and Flex. These groupings of fares offer different benefits and restrictions at various price points.

The new policy, effective from 2 May, adjusts the checked-in baggage allowance to 15 kg for Economy-class passengers who have bought tickets in the Comfort and Comfort Plus fare families — a reduction from the previous 20 and 25 kg, respectively. The allowance for the Flex fare in the Economy cabin remains unchanged at 25 kg.

Premium Economy has also seen adjustments, with Comfort Plus now allowing 15 kg of baggage, down from 30 kg, and Flex permitting 25 kg, a decrease from 35 kg.

Likewise, Business-class passengers flying Comfort Plus will be allowed 25 kg baggage, reduced from 35 kg, while Flex passengers will get a 35kg permit as against the 40 kg allowed earlier.

“The fare families are designed to let our guests choose the kind of fare and services that best suit their requirement, given that travellers today have varied preferences, and a one-size-fits-all approach is no longer ideal,” an Air India spokesperson told ThePrint.

The spokesperson added that the airline’s guests can choose from multiple bundles of features and services at different prices for their preferred flight and class of service, while never compromising on a full-service flying experience.

“Bundled fares, in fact, 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 around Rs 1,000 in a domestic sector like Delhi-Mumbai, with the Flex fare providing a value of nearly Rs 9,000, including 10kg extra baggage, zero change or cancellation fees, more loyalty points, greater choice of free seats to choose from, etc.,” the spokesperson explained.

Further, the spokesperson added that the introduction of fare families was in response to customer feedback and Air India’s comprehensive study. “It is also benchmarked against the offerings of relevant competition in each of the markets we have introduced it in.”

IndiGo — the market leader in India and Air India’s biggest competitor — provides a 15 kg baggage allowance on domestic flights. However, the airline, which is a low-cost carrier, offers only Economy-class seating. According to its website, IndiGo has had a 15 kg allowance per person since October 2020. However, an extra 10kg is allowed for double or multiple bookings.

Meanwhile, Vistara, another full-service airline under the Tata Group, offers allowances based on fare families. However, the airline offers at least 5 kg more baggage allowance to travellers opting for the highest fare family in Economy and Business class, and some fare classes of Premium Economy.

Vistara provides varied luggage allowances across its three fare categories: Lite/Value, Standard, and Flexi.

In the economy section, both the Lite/Value and Standard categories permit 15 kg of baggage, while the Flexi category allows for 20kg.

In Premium Economy, passengers are allowed 20 kg of baggage under Lite/Value, 25 kg for Standard, and 30 kg for Flexi. Business class travellers can carry 30 kg for Lite/Value, 35 kg for Standard, and a maximum of 40 kg for Flexi fares.

(Edited by Richa Mishra)