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Delhi-based low-cost airline IndiGo is offering two-by-two business class seats on flights between metro cities in India starting in mid-November this year, Pieter Elbers, the airline’s Chief Executive Officer, announced on Monday. The new product will be called IndiGoStretch.
“Booking with a special price of Rs 18,018 fare for the Delhi-Mumbai route will open soon,” Elbers said at a program to celebrate the airline’s 18 years of existence.
The launch of the business class will mark a shift from the airline’s original model, as IndiGo has been offering only economy class seating on its domestic and international flights until now.
Air India and Vistara are the other two Indian airlines that offer business-class seating on domestic flights. Vistara is to merge with Air India by the end of this year.
IndiGo chose RECARO Aircraft Seating to equip its upcoming A321neo business cabins with the R5 seats. A total of 45 shipsets have been ordered, with each A321 neo aircraft having 12 business class seats and 208 economy class seats. Aircraft deliveries are scheduled to begin in Q4 2024, and all business class installations are expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
The business class seats will have a six-way adjustable headrest with neck support, a 5” deep recline, an electronic device holder, a 60-watt USB-Type C power supply, and a three-pin universal power outlet to stay charged during the journey. Stretch passengers will also enjoy a host of complimentary benefits such as no convenience fee, especially a curated vegetarian meal box, a wide choice of beverages, and advance seat selection at no additional charge, along with priority check-in and anytime boarding.
The business class seats will open for sale from August 6, followed by a gradual scale-up, and these seats are expected to be made available on all the 12 metro routes by the end of 2025.
IndiGo also announced the launch of a loyalty program, IndiGo Bluchip. Officials claimed that there would be no blackout dates when passengers wanted to encash their loyalty points for free tickets, and the loyalty points would be valid in perpetuity.
Elbers also announced that before the end of this financial year, IndiGo will launch seven more international routes, bringing the airline’s total number of international destinations to over 40. The financial year in India ends in March.
Earlier this month, the airline announced a daily flight between the southern Indian city of Chennai and Jaffna in Sri Lanka from September 1. The launch of the flight will see IndiGo’s first international flight operated by an ATR. Incidentally, this is the second city in Sri Lanka that IndiGo will connect from India, the other being the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo.
The airline had recently posted a net profit of Rs 27.3 billion for the quarter that ended June 2024.
At the end of June this year, IndiGo had a fleet of 382 aircraft, including 38 A320 CEOs, 196 A320 neos, 98 A321 neos, 45 ATRs, 3 A321 freighters, and 2 B777 (damp lease), a net increase of 15 passenger aircraft during the quarter.
