As Vistara readies for its last flight by the end of November 11, Air India has reassured that there would be no compromise on the travel experience even after the two Tatas-run airlines merge into one.
While customers will not be able to book Vistara branded flights from November 12, Air India will still operate flights with the Vistara livery, with crew that was earlier working with the airline. The livery of the aircraft will be changed over a period of time and the crew including pilots will be integrated with the Air India roster as well.
Rated high for foods, services, and cabin quality, Vistara has built a loyal customer base and the decision to roll back the Vistara brand had caused a lot of anguish among by passengers, branding experts, and aviation analysts.
Vistara's last domestic run will be a Mumbai-Delhi flight. UK986, an Airbus A321, will take off from Mumbai airport at 10.50pm on November 11, 2024, while its last foreign voyage will be a New Delhi-Singapore flight. UK 115, an Airbus A321 neo, will depart from Delhi at 11.45pm on the same day.
In the first month post-merger, Air India expects to serve around 1,15,000 passengers who had pre-booked on Vistara. Meanwhile, 2,70,000 Vistara customers have already been transferred to Air India’s system. The loyalty transition is underway, with over 4.5 million Club Vistara members being migrated to Air India’s Flying Returns programme, which will be rebranded as the 'Maharaja Club'.
The integration will also see Singapore Airlines picking up a 25.1 percent stake in Air India. The integrated entity will have a fleet of more than 200 aircraft, offering connectivity to 90 domestic and international destinations.
Since the takeover by the Tata Group, the annual losses for both Air India and Vistara have reduced by more than half over the past year, and other operating metrics have improved, too. But the merger process so far has been turbulent.
What up for Club Vistara members?
As Vistara's loyalty programme will merge with Air India's Flying Returns programme, the existing Club Vistara memberships will continue to remain effective through the transition.
As part of the merger, Club Vistara (CV) will merge into Air India Flying Returns on November 12. Club Vistara points, tier status, and available vouchers (if any) will be transferred to Flying Returns on the same day, Air India told Moneycontrol. On the day of migration, the CV 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.
Area you flying on Vistara's new plane or an old AI machine?
From November 12, all Vistara aircraft will operate under Air India, identified by a unique four-digit Air India code beginning with '2'. For example, Vistara flight UK 955 will be re-designated as AI 2955, enabling customers to identify it when booking through the Air India website.
To facilitate this transition, Air India has bolstered its resources at multiple touchpoints in India, coordinating with partner airports to introduce measures such as help desks at curbside entry points at hubs and metro city airports.
Vistara's airport ticketing offices and check-in counters will progressively transition to Air India facilities. Self-service kiosks will display advisory notices: "For Vistara flights under code AI2, please select Air India for check-in from November 12, 2024."
Customer support staff wearing 'How may I assist you?' Air India x Vistara branded T-shirts to provide assistance, and coordination with airport security to guide customers holding Vistara tickets to the nearest help desk or Air India staff.
At international airports, customer support staff in Air India x Vistara branded T-shirts will be available for assistance, with directions and information displayed near check-in desks at relevant locations.
Customers contacting the Vistara call centre will also be automatically redirected to Air India representatives for a smooth transition.
Changes in pilot rosters, crew uniforms
The routes and schedules operated by Vistara will remain unchanged, as will the in-flight experience, products, and services, delivered by the same crew, said Air India.
However, Vistara's crew uniforms will be replaced as part of the merger with Air India and the crew will now operate with the Air India uniform. The crew of both the airlines have been integrated on a uniform salary structure since March as part of the integration process of the human resource departments of the two airlines. The airlines have also aligned policies and other benefits.
The Tata group has also proposed a single simplified salary structure and a common seniority list for career progression of pilots across its airlines. Seniority would depend on the duration of a crew's tenure with a specific airline. If a crew switches airlines, they will lose their accumulated seniority, irrespective of flying experience. Factors like choice of base, choice of aircraft and progression from a narrow body to wide body hinge on the seniority list.
Vistara and Air India have also started the integration process of non-flying employees. Several Vistara employees have been transferred to Air India, after being appraised through a process called Hogan Test. The test measures normal personality characteristics necessary for job fit, especially in leadership roles.
While Vistara's agile employees may struggle to adjust to Air India's complex bureaucracy and systems, the integration process for the staff at both airlines has been an ongoing process for the last six months.
What's the change in in-flight foods and services?
Air India’s chief, Campbell Wilson, assured that Vistara's 'world-class fleet, exceptional service, and familiar faces' will continue under Air India’s management. The airline promised to retain the essence of Vistara’s premium experience, addressing any concerns from passengers about service quality after the merger.
"Cross-functional teams from Air India and Vistara have been working together for many months to make the transition of aircraft, flying crew, ground-based colleagues and, most importantly, our valued customers, into the new Air India as seamless as possible," Wilson had said earlier.
Former Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan too had said that the merger with Air India aims to provide passengers with more options by expanding the fleet and network while enhancing the overall travel experience.
As part of the merger, Vistara’s premium catering services will now be extended to Air India, offering better meal options to customers. Customers who were looking to travel on premium economy tickets on Vistara flights will also be offered premium economy seats on Air India flights operated using Vistara's crew and planes.
Bookings with Vistara for travel on or after November 12 were discontinued on September 3. This includes Award Flights and bookings made using cash plus points. Starting November 12, all Vistara aircraft will be operated by Air India, and bookings for the routes operated by these aircraft will be redirected to the Air India website.
Club Vistara discontinued partnerships with its health and wellness partners, stay partners, car rental partners, retail and lifestyle partners, travel services partners, and Club ITC (points transfer partner) on August 30. Vistara Getaways, powered by Thomas Cook, was discontinued on August 30.
As a result, CV points will only be awarded for bookings made for services to be rendered by August 30. Bookings made before this date but with service completion after August 30, 2024 will not be eligible to earn CV Points.
Booking.com alone will continue to be a Club Vistara Stay Partner till October 31, 2024. Club Vistara members will be able to earn CV Points with Booking.com for bookings made and services rendered by October 31.
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