Celebrating its 18th birthday, now-adult carrier IndiGo has come of age with the announcement that it will launch its first-ever truly premium product and a frequent flier program. With these changes, the traditionally no-frills operator, India’s largest carrier, is entering a new phase in its existence, pivoting from strictly budget operations to a hybrid approach.
IndiGo first took flight on 4 August 2006. Not for the faint of heart, India’s cutthroat aviation sector has witnessed the demise of several carriers in the past decade — both large and small, full-service and budget. But IndiGo has successfully navigated this challenging environment to now be the dominant carrier in the country.
With a fleet of well over 300 aircraft, primarily Airbus A320 family narrowbodies — and with more than 950 aircraft on order — IndiGo commands a domestic market share regularly above 60% and, recently, announced its sixth consecutive quarter of profits. At this moment, IndiGo is the only profitable carrier in the country.
Now, at 18, the carrier wants a bigger slice of the premium business travel market and has announced a new ‘IndiGoStretch’ up-front product, selecting Recaro Aircraft Seating’s R5 recliners for installation in a 12-seat cabin aboard 45 new A321neo aircraft. Further back, the carrier’s XL extra legroom seats will continue to be offered, as will its standard economy class product, based on Recaro’s R2 slimline.
Busy trunk routes in India include Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. The first IndiGo flights with IndiGoStretch are slated to begin in November and by the end of 2025, a total of 12 popular routes will feature the new product. Initial prices were Rs.18018 ($240) for Mumbai-Delhi, a neat play on the airline’s 18th birthday.
On top of this cabin refresh, IndiGo has been testing a wireless stream-to-device inflight entertainment system. The decision to entertain passengers onboard will see it more directly compete with Air India and Vistara, which will merge into one airline by the end of the year.
IndiGoStretch seats come with a specially curated vegetarian meal box, a wide choice of beverages, and advance seat selection. Priority check-in and ‘anytime boarding’ will also be offered. All meals are cold. IndiGo has no ovens onboard any of its aircraft. The only hot items remain tea and coffee.
In-seat power, including universal and USB-C, plus device holders are key attributes of this premium product. So too are the R5’s signature privacy wings. Image: IndiGo
As part of its birthday celebration the airline has also debuted BluChip, its new frequent flier program with points based on spend, not distance.
Key attributes of note here are that miles will never expire as long as the membership is active and redemption tickets will be available up to the last seat on each flight. Members will earn more BluChips when booking directly with the airline, and they’ll qualify for membership tiers immediately — not on any fixed date or membership anniversaries — which is a neat option for status chasers. BluChips are “easy to earn, easy to burn” and guests can redeem them in real-time, assures IndiGo.
IndiGo BluChip is billed as being “the most hassle free on-time loyalty program”. Image: IndiGo
With these announcements, IndiGo continues its evolution with the aim of continued dominance of the Indian aviation sector. It also expects delivery of A321XLR extra long-range aircraft in the coming year, with some 69 aircraft on order.
Furthermore, 30 Airbus A350-900 widebodies are scheduled for delivery from 2027 onward. The A350 order will help expand IndiGo’s international network to long-haul destinations, but passengers are now naturally curious about what IndiGo has in store for the A350 cabin interiors.
For Indian passengers seeking a premium experience, IndiGo’s announcements are a welcome addition to a market that will soon have just a single full-service carrier in the form of merged Air India/Vistara.
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Featured image credited to Airbus/ FIXON GWLNSOD
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