New Delhi: Economy class fliers on Vistara can now pay an additional Rs500 and enjoy quicker check-in, baggage handling and boarding—privileges currently available only for passengers with higher class tickets.
Passengers can purchase the Vistara priority service while booking tickets or at its airport offices until 60 minutes to departure. They can check in at the airline’s premium economy counters, have their baggage tagged for priority handling so that it is first off the belt, and board the aircraft ahead of other customers along with premium economy customers.
“Vistara priority has been designed for time-challenged discerning travellers of today who prefer travelling economy, but demand greater convenience while travelling,” the airline run by Tata SIA Airlines Ltd said.
The move comes at a time when several Indian airports are seeing high traffic, especially during peak hours, leading to long queues.
Vistara, with its 13 planes, has a 3.1% domestic market share.
The airline is also expanding its footprint. Its promoters recently brought in Rs200 crore, taking the total capital infusion since 2015 to about Rs1,220 crore, Mint first reported on 13 April.
It also extended its CEO Phee Teik Yeoh’s term by three years. Yeoh’s compensation has also been increased from Rs1.83 crore in 2013-14 to Rs2.41 crore in 2014-15 to Rs3.06 crore in 2015-2016 to about Rs3.69 crore now, according to the data with the ministry of company affairs reviewed by Mint.
The airline is working on plans to go international from next year.
Vistara made a loss of Rs400.90 crore on revenue of Rs714.56 crore in 2015-16 compared with Rs199.07 crore loss on revenue of Rs69.30 crore in its first year 2014-15, during which it had operated only for three months.