Goodbye Vistara: Is the same premium quality going to be maintained?

Rated high for food, services and cabin quality, Vistara has built a loyal customer base across the globe. Therefore, the decision to roll back the brand has become a cause for concern among passengers, branding experts and aviation analysts.

The Vistara airline’s last domestic run is set to begin at 10:50 pm today for a Mumbai-Delhi flight, UK 986. The final international run is scheduled for a Delhi-Singapore flight, UK 115 – set to depart from the Indian capital at 11:45 pm.

From Tuesday, customers cannot book Vistara branded flights. But Air India is still going to use Vistara livery and existing staff for ongoing operations. The livery is expected to be changed over a period of time, amid the staff soon to be brought into the Air India roster.

Vistara-Air India Merger: Smooth transition planned

Vistara started as a joint venture including Tata Group and Singapore Airlines. It has become part of a consolidated Air India entity. Singapore Airlines is retaining a 25.1% stake. The merger has brought a couple of giants of Indian aviation together.

More than 115,000 passengers are holding Vistara tickets for flights scheduled after today. They are going to fly under the Air India name. In order to help people during the transition, Vistara has also set up several help desks at different airports across the country.

Members of Vistara’s loyalty program are going to be transitioned to Air India’s program. They can enjoy access to a broader range of benefits. The merger is certainly going to bring changes in branding. But the premium ‘Vistara experience’ shall not be compromised.