Curtains Draw On Vistara Airlines, Final Flight Marks Merger With Air India

Vistara will operate its final flight under its own brand on Monday, November 11, 2024. From November 12 onwards, all Vistara flights will be booked through the Air India website as part of the ongoing merger between the two full-service carriers, jointly owned by Tata Group and Singapore Airlines.

On this date, Vistara's fleet will officially be integrated into Air India's, marking the unification of the airlines. Passengers may notice some changes to their travel experience as a result of this transition.

Following the merger, India will have just one full-service carrier, a sharp decline from the five that existed 17 years ago. This change comes after the 2012 liberalisation of foreign direct investment norms, which facilitated the launch of Vistara and other foreign-invested airlines. The merger signifies the end of an era of joint ventures between foreign carriers and Indian airlines.

New Code for Vistara Flights Post-Merger

The airline has assured passengers that the in-flight experience will remain largely unchanged, but the flights will now be identified with a new Air India flight code starting with AI 2XXX. For instance, Vistara flight UK 955 (Delhi to Mumbai) will be rebranded as AI 2955.

Additionally, from November 12, 2024, Vistara's Club Vistara will merge with Air India's Flying Returns programme. All CV Points, Tier Points, and available vouchers will be transferred to the corresponding Flying Returns account, and members will retain their current Tier Status.

With the merger, both airlines aim to streamline services and provide enhanced benefits to their passengers.

"As Club Vistara joins forces with Air India's Flying Returns programme to become Maharaja Club, India's largest frequent flyer programme, we would like to inform you that your Club Vistara account will no longer be accessible after 4:00 PM IST on 10 November 2024. You will not be able to log in after this time. We recommend submitting any Retro Claims online and earning CV Points for past travel with Vistara before 10 November 2024, if not already done. We also advise you to download a record of your previous transactions from your Club Vistara account," said an email from Vistara.

Air India-Vistara Merger

The government has approved Singapore Airlines' foreign direct investment in the merger of Air India and Vistara, which will result in the integration of the two airlines into a single full-service carrier under the Air India brand. This merger will consolidate both airlines into one unified entity.

From September 3, 2024, customers gradually lost the ability to book Vistara flights for travel after November 12, 2024. Announced in November 2022, the merger will see Singapore Airlines holding a 25.1% stake in the combined airline once finalised.

Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan has emphasised that the merger is intended to provide passengers with more travel options by expanding the fleet and network, while improving the overall travel experience.