Air India

More About Air India

Alliances and codeshare partnerships: Air India is expected to join the Star Alliance in 2010. This would make it a part of the world’s pioneering and currently biggest alliance programme. Air India also has codeshare partnerships with the following:

• Aeroflot
• South African Airways
• Turkish Airlines
• Austrian Airlines
• Air Mauritius
• Lufthansa Airlines
• Kuwait Airways

Major Routes: Air India offers numerous flights to the following global destinations:
Los Angeles, Mauritius, Tokyo, Kabul via Delhi, Washington*, Kathmandu, Osaka, Paris, Chicago, Indian destinations, Amsterdam
Kuala Lampur, Newark, Muscat, Istanbul, Vienna, Toronto, Shanghai, Moscow, Frankfurt, Singapore via Mumbai, Bangkok, Munich

Frequent Flyer Programme: The airline constantly tries to woo consumers by making attractive additions to its frequent flyer programme. Air India’s frequent flyer programme is known as Flying Returns. Members of the programme are entitled to benefits like hotel accommodation, discounted seats, flight mileage, and class upgrades.

Sometime back, Air India also entered into a frequent flyer partnership with Singapore Airlines. This allows clients of both airlines to redeem their frequent flyer miles by choosing their flights from both Air India and Singapore Airlines.

Cabin Classes: Air India pampers its passengers with state of the art service and features on its sparkling carriers at competitive airfares. Take your pick from the following 3 categories:

• First Class
• Executive Class
• Economy Class

Lounges: Air India prides itself on its Maharaja Lounge facility for first and business class passengers. As of now, the airline operates this facility in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, London Heathrow, and New York JFK airports. Air India has also teamed up with different airports and airlines to offer shared lounge facilities in locations that lack a Maharaja Lounge.

In-flight Service and Entertainment: Air India is not just about flying. The word luxury would be an understatement if one were to define the sinfully indulgent wining, dining, and shopping experience aboard Air India flights. The Sky Bazaar scheme allows you to select from a range of duty free goodies after you board the flight. The first class has Personal Entertainment Alliance allowing passengers the freedom of choice watch their favourite movies or soaps. The seats in the first and executive classes are also perfect for napping as they double up as comfortable beds. Elegant sari clad air hostesses bestow you with a warm dose of Indian hospitality.

Online check-in: The airline provides online check in facility to passengers holding a confirmed reservation. Those who travel on a connecting flight need to check in separately for each leg of the journey. The online check in confirmation slip needs to be printed out and produced at the airport at least one and a half hours prior to take off.

Baggage Policy: Free check in baggage up to 40 kg, 30 kg, and 20 kg is permitted for its first, executive, and economy class passengers respectively. First class passengers who want to avail the 40 kg allowance need to carry two pieces of baggage, which add up to 40 kg but individually do not exceed 32 kg. However, baggage policy is subject to change and the allowance varies from destination to destination. Passengers should check out the website for latest information or contact the airline.

Awards and Accolades: Recently, the airline was in news for winning the ‘Emerging Freighter Services of the Year’ award.