New Delhi: Airlines are considering introducing special concessional fares for passengers who opt to fly with only their carry-on luggage, said two people aware of the development.
The cheaper fares will benefit about 40% of domestic travelers, such as small businessmen and corporate executives, on short trips and encourage them to travel more often instead of staying in hotels.
“Indian airlines are studying the market to see which routes make more sense to offer such fares. We know they are preparing to offer reduced airfares to those traveling with just one cabin bag. One of the main beneficiaries of this service will be micro, small and medium enterprises,” said a senior executive of an online travel operator.
Currently, the lowest airfares offered on most domestic routes include provision for cabin bags of up to 8 kg and check-in baggage weighing 15-25 kg, and no Indian airlines offer cabin baggage-only fares Is.
However, foreign carriers do, and Scoot, the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, already offers zero baggage fares from India.
India’s largest domestic airline Indigo said it is considering the plan. Responding to a query, an IndiGo spokesperson said, “We will continue to evaluate our service offerings to offer options and flexibility to meet the evolving needs of our customers.”
This would not be the first time that airlines have introduced special fares for passengers. An earlier attempt in 2017 was rejected by aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
“There was a difference of opinion between the aviation regulator and the Federation of Indian Airlines, and the matter was taken up by the Delhi High Court in 2017. The judgment was in favor of the airlines, and therefore, under the existing rules, nothing prevents airlines from offering different fares for those with and without check-in luggage provision,” said the spokesperson of anonymity. a senior government official said on the condition.
Emailed queries to SpiceJet, Air India, Vistara and GoFirst for comments did not reply.
While hand baggage-only fares are standard practice among European and US airlines for short-haul flights, analysts say Indian airlines are increasingly planning to move in the same direction as it helps save fuel. and the cargo belly empties for ancillary revenue.
Michael Jain, director of Belair travel agency, said, “IndiGo, SpiceJet and AirAsia introduced zero-baggage fares or hand baggage-only fares a few years ago, but later had to withdraw these fares as they were not in line with the Indian market.” It was too early.
Another analyst said that these special fares have the potential to change the way Indians travel by air. A travelogue said, “At present, around 40% of people in India travel with only cabin luggage, but with these changes coming gradually, the number of such travelers could increase by 20-25%.” industry analyst, who declined to be identified.
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