How does it Feel Travelling on the Vistara Premium Economy Class?

Vistara, a full-service airline, is a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines. The company was founded in 2013, but launched operations in January 2015. By the end of 2015, it had already flown about a million passengers on domestic routes. Currently, it holds close to 2 percent of the market share in the national aviation industry. Being a luxury carrier, it offers three cabin classes. It flies to 16 cities in India, using its fleet of Airbus A320-200s.

Travellers have the option to fly in Economy, Premium Economy or Business class. On its A320-200s, it offers 36 Premium Economy seats (6 rows of 3-3 arrangement) and 16 Business seats (four 2-2 rows) out of a total of 148. The remaining 96 can be booked by those, who want to travel in the Economy Class. It is the first airline to offer the Premium Economy cabin option in the country. Most of the carriers in the country do not give this travelling option to people. So, what is it that makes this cabin type so special?

Details

Booking air tickets for this class entitles people to have 20 kg check-in baggage, which is 5 kg more than what is allowed in the lower class. The hand luggage allowance, however, remains the same at 7 kg as per the prevailing government norms. Besides increased checked luggage limit, this also provides priority baggage handling at airports during departure and arrival. This means that there are fewer chances of loss or damage of luggage and travellers can get these ahead of others after landing.

Another associated benefit of travelling in this class is the facility of dedicated check-in counters at the airport. This saves people from standing in long queues for completing the formalities, getting tired and wasting time. This privilege extends all the way to the boarding queue, where passengers do not have to stand in the standard line, but in a separate one, meant for priority boarding.

Once on board, they would find that the seats are quite comfortable and reasonably spacious; also, these recline to 4.5 inches. This allows flyers to stretch to the fullest while seated, and relax and unwind. These also come with added cushioning and height-adjustable headrests, further adding to the comfort.

By booking an air ticket for these cabins, complimentary meals can also be enjoyed. A wide range of dishes is prepared by designated Vistara chefs. Beverages are also offered on board so that flyers can stay hydrated during the journey. Special meals are also provided for babies and children, vegetarian and non-vegetarian passengers, and for those, who have a medical condition. Any special meal request can be made preferably at the time of booking or a few hours before departure.

In order to avoid boredom and catch up with some news and interesting articles, newspapers and magazines are available on the journey in addition to the regular in-flight magazine. The carrier also provides wireless streaming of content on the personal electronic devices of passengers as part of its onboard entertainment system.

Meets Demand of Passengers

This cabin meets the demand of flyers, who want to travel with more comfort and enjoy special privileges like priority check-in and boarding, and baggage handling, besides higher baggage allowances. The ticket for travelling in comfortable seats with more leg space comes for just a little more money than the lowest option.

The launch of these seats has the potential to lead the carrier to new levels of success and earn it higher revenue.

Competitive Strategies for Vistara Domestic Flight

Vistara is the third full-service carrier of the country, operating under the joint venture between the corporates Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines. This newest airline recently started operations in the Indian skies. Delhi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai are among the first few cities to be served by this carrier. These are among the most popular routes of the country; hence it is facing direct competition from other full-fledged service providers as well as low-cost operators. The carrier is adding distinctive features to attract fliers, who already use services of SpiceJet, IndiGo and other airlines. Vistara domestic flight booking includes Premium Economy seating, which is an entirely new concept in the Indian aviation market.

In addition to this, the carrier is operating on a cost-effective model with a lean structure. Currently, there are around 400 people working with the company, including crew members as well as management. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company said that the key factor for this airline will be the low cost in this competitive environment. In addition to this, he also said that unlike its competitors, the company does not have to manage debt or pay huge amounts of interest. This gives Vistara an edge over others as the entire revenue can be used for growth and expansion. Apart from Delhi and Ahmedabad Mumbai flight, this airline is planning to add a number of other small cities to its network route.

This service provider owns three Airbus 320s, and delivery of 17 more are due in the coming years. Currently, there are four air hostesses and five cabin crew per flight for training purposes, but it will soon be reduced to one and four, respectively. As per reports, new routes will be added only after the 16th of February because of the fog. These new destinations include Patna, Goa, Bangalore, Chennai and many others. As per officials, the objective of the airline is to operate over 80 daily flights to connect various cities of the country. It may also start global operations if the aviation authorities change the 5/20 rule. This states that carriers have to operate for at least five years in the domestic market and own 20 models before commencing international operations.