Vistara merger: Air India deploys extra resources at touch points, airports to help passengers

NEW DELHI: Air India has deployed additional resources, including help desk kiosks, at touch points and airports to ensure a smooth experience for Vistara passengers post its merger with the airline next week, an official said on Wednesday.

Full-service carriers -- Air India and Vistara, a joint venture between Tatas and Singapore Airlines -- are set to be merged on November 12. Post-merger, the routes and schedule operated by Vistara and the Vistara in-flight experience will remain the same.

Also, Vistara aircraft will be identified by a special four-digit Air India code beginning with the digit '2'.

The official in the know said Air India deployed additional resources across touch points in India, including help desk kiosks, at the curbside before terminal entry at hubs and metro city airports.

There will be "customer support staff wearing 'How may I assist you?' Air India x Vistara branded t-shirts for support", the official added.

Besides, the staff will work with airport security to guide customers with old Vistara tickets to the nearest help desk or to Air India customer support staff and deploy advisory on self-service kiosks.

In due course, Vistara airport ticketing offices and check-in terminals will become that of Air India.

In the first month after the merger, nearly 1,15,000 passengers who had purchased Vistara tickets pre-merger are expected to fly on unified Air India, the official said.

Over the last few months, 2,70,000 customers who had booked Vistara flights have been migrated to Air India, and more than 4.5 million Vistara loyalty programme members are being migrated to Air India's loyalty programme.

Air India said that the customers calling the Vistara contact centre will be automatically directed to Air India representatives, who will ensure a seamless experience during this transition.

There are concerns in certain quarters on whether Vistara passengers will continue to get the same services post-merger as Air India, which is in the transformation phase, has been facing certain service issues in recent times.

The Tata Group-owned Air India has emphasised that the Vistara experience will remain post-merger.

The integrated entity will have a fleet of more than 200 planes, offering connectivity to 90 domestic and international destinations.

Air India’s narrowbody fleet continues to be upgraded with new aircraft being delivered, legacy aircraft being refitted with entirely new interiors and Vistara's catering now also extended to Air India.

Air India’s widebody fleet has also been augmented with the entry of six A350 aircraft that have started to fly between Delhi and London, and Delhi and New York, the airline said.