No-frills carrier IndiGo adds business class on 12 domestic routes

Low-cost carrier IndiGo, which has been flying economy class for the past 18 years since its inception, has announced the introduction of business class on the domestic circuit as the airline plans to become a full service carrier.

The new business class, ’IndiGo Stretch,’ will first be introduced on the Delhi-Mumbai route, starting mid-November, the airline’s CEO Pieter Elbers said on Monday, adding that bookings for the seats will open on Tuesday.

Fares for the business class seats will start from Rs18,018 for one-way, Elbers said.

Reports citing IndiGo sources said the new business class will accommodate 12 passengers across four seats in three rows in the Airbus A321 neo planes, which has a total seating capacity of 220.

InterGlobe Aviation Limited (IndiGo), the country’s largest carrier, will also be adding seven more international destinations, taking the total to 40 in the current financial year, Elbers said.

IndiGo currently operates 2,000 daily flights and serves 120 destinations, including 33 international destinations and 87 domestic routes.

The airline currently has a fleet of 380 aircraft, with orders for 970 more. Deliveries of the new aircraft will start in the next decade.

Simultaneously, IndiGo, which has all the while been a low-cost carrier, also announced, plans to launch a customer loyalty programme, ‘IndiGo BluChip’, which will go live in September.

Under this programme, IndiGo will recognise and reward frequent flyers and help them to earn free flights across the IndiGo network. Members of the BluChip programme will enjoy enhanced travel experiences with exclusive benefits, including upgradation to higher loyalty tier

Members of the IndiGo BluChip programme will be able to accumulate BluChips on every IndiGo flight, based on their spend, for all 365 days of the year.