Vistara Final Days : November 12 Marks the End of Vistara Flights
31 August 2024, New Delhi
With approval for FDI allowing Singapore Airlines to hold a 25.1% ownership in Air India—which will also serve as the parent company of Air India Express—the final obstacle to Vistara’s merger into Air India has been cleared. This made it possible for Vistara to become a part of Air India for AIX Connect, which was formerly known as AirAsia India, to become Air India Express, an entirely owned subsidiary of Air India. Talace is also eliminated as a result of this. Tata Sons established Talace Pvt. Ltd. as a bidder for Air India.
As a result, on November 12, 2024, Vistara will cease to exist, and beginning the following week, on September 3, all reservations for flights after that date will be cancelled. Many travelers who have either reserved flights with Vistara or want to do so over the busy December period would undoubtedly get anxious as a result of this. Vistara and Air India are scheduling this following the busiest Diwali season, in a sector where cutoffs often correspond with IATA seasons.
Once the final paperwork was completed, the airline began communicating with both customers and staff. The impending change was announced on social media, and emails informing passengers and loyalty members of the change began to be sent out in batches. If you are a frequent traveler of Vistara and are wondering what happens to your reservations and reward points, here are seven things you should know.
Is Vistara going to go away? No, it’s not. Despite merging with Air India, Vistara will no longer be known as Vistara. The routes, staff, aircraft, and pretty much everything else will be a part of Air India. But since the aircraft cannot be fixed in a single day, the airlines will continue to use the livery until the necessary modifications are made. The IATA code “UK” will no longer be in use.
November 11 was the last flight.
November 11, 2024, will mark the last flight operated by Vistara. Prior to a complete transition and retirement of the Vistara brand, IATA code, and operations, the transfer of aircraft and human resources will start even earlier on November 11, and the last flights will operate.
What happens if I have to use Vistara to book my flights after November 12?
The Vistara network and flights will continue, although they will use the “AI” prefix and Air India flight number. Starting on September 3, the Air India website will be used for the sale of these flights. Despite Air India owning the aircraft, the Vistara crew will continue to operate them until early in 2025. But the food, service standards, and other things shall follow Air India guidelines.
What becomes of the members of the loyalty?
Vistara has already started to combine its loyalty program with “Flying Returns,” the loyalty program run by Air India. Members of Vistara’s loyalty program, Club Vistara, are encouraged to enroll in the account merging, which will result in a point transfer from Vistara to Flying Returns on a one-to-one basis.
What happens if my ticket is reserved?
It won’t affect those who have already made reservations. There may be a change in the flight information that passengers using the Vistara between now and November 12 will be informed of by the airline. There will undoubtedly be a change for anyone traveling after November 12; the airline will notify customers of this. In order to guarantee prompt information distribution, it is your responsibility as a passenger to make sure your contact information is current with the airline.
If I have a reservation on Vistara but the flight is operated by Air India, would this affect the quality of service?
Until early 2025, the airlines have insisted that the flights that are currently operated under the Vistara brand will, for the most part, continue to fly with the same aircraft and personnel. As a single unit, this could alter at any time owing to emergencies, plane groundings, or planned aircraft removal for maintenance and rebranding. This could be problematic for passengers who have reservations in Premium Economy because, in contrast to Vistara, where all but ten aircraft provide this class of service, only a small number of Air India aircraft offer Premium Economy service.
Where can I have one last look at Vistara?
Vistara has developed its own fan base in the past few years. Up until November 11, the Vistara flight was hosted on their network. It will be best to take action as soon as possible because the transition to Air India won’t happen suddenly; rather, it will happen gradually leading up to November 11, when sectors, aircraft, and staff will begin to move. If there is a lag between the booking date and the start of the service, Air India may take over, but the crew and aircraft will still likely be Vistara.
Also Read: Kangana Ranaut launches the ‘Emergency’ music album at the historic Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya