IndiGo has the largest aircraft fleet but it’s a low-cost airline whereas Vistara is a full-fare airline but does not have a large fleet and doesn’t have flights to many destinations.
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Your preferred Airline Carrier in India & Why
About 4 decades ago, we used to have just a handful of airline carriers in India. However, since the 1990s, many players entered the fray. Sadly not all have survived. Many have declared bankruptcy – the latest being the Wadia Group-owned Go First.
At present, the skies are dominated by two players – InterGlobe Aviation Limited and the Tata Group. While the former operates IndiGo, the latter runs Air India, Air India Express and Vistara (a joint venture with Singapore Airlines). In 2023, the two groups had a combined domestic market share of 81.3% with IndiGo ferrying 56.2% of the country’s passengers and the Tata Group flying 25.1%.
It must be noted that in 2022, AirAsia India was acquired by Tata Sons and renamed AIX Connect. It was then merged with Air India Express. The combined entity has a domestic market share of ~7-8%.
With the grounding of Go First, by September, IndiGo’s market share grew to 63.4%while the Tata Group held 26.5%. Other operators include SpiceJet and Akasa Air. The former holds just 4.4% market share, while the latter is still a fledgling that has been in service for just ~17 months and holds a market share of 4.2%.
Each airline has some strong points and drawbacks. Let’s have a look at those of the two largest players in our skies today.
IndiGo has the largest fleet of all airline carriers in India. It flies to the most number of destinations and has multiple flights in a day. This gives customers many options to choose from. This means that more often than not, fliers are booking their seats on an IndoGo flight compared to other airlines. However, IndiGo is a low-cost airline. The seats in their aircraft are basic and food is not included in the fare. You can buy snacks on the flight, but if you want something like a sandwich, it needs to be pre-booked.
Vistara, which holds ~10% market share, operates its flights on a full-fare basis. They have economy and business class seats. The latter is very comfortable and a boon on longer flights (eg. New Delhi – Chennai). While their economy seats are no more comfortable to sit in than say IndiGo’s they offer infotainment screens and USB charging ports. Being a full-fare airline, fresh food is served, which is far better than the packaged stuff you get on low-cost carriers. Coming to drawbacks, the airline does not have a large fleet and doesn’t fly to many destinations.
So, which is your preferred airline carrier in India and why?
Here’s what GTO had to say about the matter:
My first choice is Vistara, then getting one of the good seats in economy class. I usually pay to upgrade the seat to one of those extra-legroom types so I can work on my laptop. 2nd choice is Indigo. I now pick Indigo only if Vistara isn’t available around my preferred timings, but the seat quality & customer service levels trail Vistara. Half the time I travel in Indigo, my butt hurts because the seatbase cushion has completely worn out and offers poor support.
As a rule, I never travel on broke or struggling airlines, so I don’t even remember the last time I’d taken a Spicejet, GoAir etc.
Here’s what BHPian Axe77 had to say about the matter:
Voted Vistara.
Whether it’s personal or work travel, my EA / travel desk has been told only to give me Vistara and Indigo flight options in the first instance. I’ll generally book Vistara pre eco unless the price is just way too high for any reason. The quality of service for Vistara is simply a notch above everything else.
With Indigo, I think they just cover more routes, for the most part, are clockwork efficient and predictable – wherever possible, I try to upgrade to one of the early rows. Again an airline I appreciate for its integrity of purpose executed with (for the most part) clinical precision. No nonsense, get the work done sort of dependable.
I only check options from other airlines if the above two are not feasible for whatever reason. I’ve found Spicejet to be erratic, I’ll give AI some time to settle in under the new owners and Akasa is something I’d like to try when I’m flying the relevant sector. But as of now, it’s still down to only these two. I’ll always avoid stressed airlines because they cancel or reschedule far too often. That’s just not the kind of uncertainty or sub par experience I like to deal with.
Here’s what BHPian ABHI_1512 had to say about the matter:
VOTED- AIR INDIA
Having voted for Air India, I know that I would be in the minority. My preference for Air India stems from the following points:
- They fly to most of the destinations that are shunned by most of the airlines in business. For North East India, they are a lifesaver since they have been providing connectivity to far-flung areas for a very long now. I still remember taking flights out of Jorhat and Lilabari during my childhood and flying only meant Indian Airlines which has been now renamed as Air India.
- Their baggage policy is still one of the best. In the domestic sector, they provide more luggage space than economy carriers like Indigo and Spicejet despite charging less for the fare.
- They have now started to shed the typical Air India traits that have plagued the airlines for so long now and my recent flying experiences have been top-notch with them, even for short-haul flights.
- Flights have been getting refurbished and there is a marked improvement in the food variety as well. Someone somewhere is doing the right things in order to set the airline right.
- The staff behaviour is getting better each day. Far cry from the usual boorish or high-handed behaviour days. In fact, these days I find the behaviour of Indigo people as worst.
- Most importantly, Air India is making an effort to make flying a wonderful experience again.
I would have voted for Indigo for their clock-like precision but for the fact that they are now looting passengers in the name of being low cost and are too boring. Corporate bookings aside, I don’t usually fly them. Their fares have grown so much that at times, prices are higher than even full-service carriers. Charging for everything while denying the basic services in the garb of being low cost is just not on. Their seats are basically cloth-wrapped plastic and they get away by saying that they are low cost… such a shame!
Vistara is a fantastic airlines and I have had a pleasant experience every time till date. Just that they only fly to high-density routes.
Here’s what BHPian V.Narayan had to say about the matter:
Spice and Go Air (till it flew) were out of the question. I simply do not trust their maintenance or their training. Period. Also, cash-strapped airlines run by billionaire playboy wannabes and politico wannabes are likely to cut corners intentionally or unintentionally. Air Asia India/Air India Express I have never flown and cannot comment upon.
Akasa I’ll wait and watch. The jury is still out. They have not got their act together yet. I am willing to assume that Aditya Ghosh will over time get his ducks in a row. They first need to learn point 1.01 of getting the flight to take off on time.
Indigo has only one thing going for it and that is on-time service most of the time at least. Staff courtesy, staff attitude have deteriorated. And check-in with baggage on metro-to-metro flights has taken a thrashing to being a downright horrid experience. The snacks in their corporate pre-booked meal is something I have topped. They are beginning to look more and more like Ryan Air and EasyJet where callousness towards passengers is a part of the product.
Two CXO-level officers at Indigo whom I knew very well quit over the last 12 months. From what I hear cost cutting, automation, cookie cutter bare bones service is their strategy now; the passenger is a number on the fast-moving production line. My guess is, pardon my French, the middle finger attitude of the staff starts from the top at Indigo. I am still compelled to use Indigo as often theirs is the only conveniently timed flight, especially to non-metros. This I hope will change over the next 2 years.
Air India and Vistara are my preferred airlines as of now even though Vistara economy seat leg space is terrible unless you can manage to get an emergency row seat. Air India’s check-in is still wobbly in the metros where the volumes are high. But their cabin service is getting better and the new A350 on metro routes would I presume have comfortable seats and adequate leg space in economy.
My vote is for Air India and Vistara – both equally preferable.
Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
