5 min readNew DelhiAug 31, 2024 07:46 PM IST
First published on: Aug 31, 2024 at 06:50 AM IST
The decade-old Vistara, an airline reputed for its excellent product and service quality, will fly into the sunset in November after its operational merger with the Tata group’s flagship airline Air India.
An announcement by both the airlines on Friday said that Vistara will continue to operate flights only till November 11. After this date, all Vistara flights will be operated by Air India. How is the merger likely to affect Vistara customers?
What will happen to Vistara flight bookings?
Nothing will change for customers booked on Vistara flights till November 11. Those already booked on Vistara flights from November 12 onwards will automatically have their reservations converted to Air India flight numbers. New electronic tickets will be generated for them. This process will be carried out in phases in September, and customers will be individually informed when their ticket is converted.
Customers looking to book Vistara flights for November 12 and beyond will progressively not be able to do so from September 3 — they will have to book flights through Air India instead. Customers can still book flights scheduled for November 11 and earlier directly through Vistara.
Similarly, for most add-on services and booking modifications, customers booked on Vistara flights till November 11 can use Vistara’s website, mobile application, and call centre. For bookings beyond November 11, they would be required to do so through Air India.
What will the change be like in terms of product and service quality?
Given Vistara’s positioning as a premium airline, many customers are wondering what is likely to change post-merger terms of service and product quality.
Customers should not expect many changes, at least initially. All Vistara aircraft and crew will be migrated to Air India’s air operator certificate or AOC, and branded as Air India flights from November 12 onwards. But for nearly all such flights, the schedule, operating crew, and aircraft will be from Vistara’s existing fleet until early 2025, Air India’s CEO Campbell Wilson said in an internal communication to employees.
This means that at least for a few weeks after the merger, those flying on what will then be the erstwhile Vistara aircraft can expect continuity in terms of product and service in most cases. But it is impossible to completely rule out use of Air India aircraft and crew even in the early days as aircraft allotment is contingent upon complexities of scheduling and availability.
In time, the line between Vistara and Air India in terms of product and service would progressively blur as the carriers’ integration — aircraft, crew, and network — gathers pace. Aircraft and crew deployment is likely to be a lot more unified a few months down the line.
That said, Air India is currently refurbishing its older aircraft while it continues to induct new aircraft on a regular basis. This exercise has seen Air India add the premium economy class to its cabin layout, much like Vistara. Air India hopes that its fleet modernisation exercise will enhance its product and service quality to the level currently being offered by Vistara.
What will happen to Club Vistara, the carrier’s loyalty programme?
After the integration of the two airlines is complete, Club Vistara will merge with Air India’s frequent flyer programme Flying Returns. All Club Vistara accounts will eventually be migrated to Flying Returns.
Those with existing accounts in both loyalty programmes can link the two accounts via Vistara’s website. If a customer does not link the two accounts by the time of the merger, the accounts will be automatically merged, provided key identification and contact details are common in both accounts. For accounts where there is any mismatch in these details, a new Flying Returns account will be created to which Club Vistara points will be transferred. Members can later merge duplicate Flying Returns accounts.
A member’s tier status in the loyalty programme will be assigned based on the cumulative points of both Club Vistara and Flying Returns. Members will either maintain their current Club Vistara tier status or get upgraded based on their cumulative points under the two programmes. Going forward, the rules of Flying Returns will apply.
“On the day of migration, the Club Vistara points balance, and the Tier Points available in the member accounts will be transferred to the Flying Returns programme at a 1:1 ratio. The points will remain valid for at least one year from the date of migration, even if they are due to expire sooner,” Vistara’s website says. It adds that valid and unused flight or upgrade vouchers issued to Club Vistara members will be transferred to their Flying Returns accounts with existing validity.
Both Air India and Vistara have co-branded credit cards as part of their loyalty programme offerings, but the airlines and their partner credit card companies have so far not provided details of how the offerings and point accruals on these cards will shape up with the merger of Club Vistara and Flying Returns. These are expected to be released in the coming weeks.
Singapore Airlines, which holds a 49% in Vistara, and will have 25.1% shareholding in the enlarged Air India post the merger. (Express, Wikimedia Commons) 
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