Vistara becomes British Airways’ only codeshare partner in India
Thursday
, 6 September 2018: Vistara, India’s finest full-service carrier, and British Airways, the UK’s largest carrier, today signed a codeshare agreement, further deepening their already existing interline partnership. With this, Vistara becomes the only codeshare partner for British Airways in India.
Under the agreement, British Airways will add its ‘BA’ designator code to approximately 60 Vistara-operated flights each day covering thirteen Indian cities, including eight new virtual British Airways destinations, namely Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Goa, Kolkata, Kochi, and Pune. Additionally, the BA code will also be put on Vistara flights between Mumbai and Amritsar, and Chennai and Kolkata.
Sales under the codeshare agreement open today on all channels and major GDS systems for flights starting September 27, 2018.
Commenting on this milestone partnership, Mr. Sanjiv Kapoor, Vistara’s Chief Strategy & Commercial Officer, said: “We are delighted to extend our existing interline and through check-in partnership with British Airways to a codeshare agreement. This partnership reaffirms our commitment to taking India’s finest airline brand beyond Indian borders, and it gives us the opportunity of welcoming travellers from around the world to experience the ‘new feeling of flying’ in India with Vistara. We share a lot in common with British Airways, key among which is our focus on delighting customers. We are confident that our respective customers will truly enjoy the reciprocal benefits of this collaboration.”
Rishi Kapoor, British Airways’ Head of Alliances, said: “We have been flying to India for more than 90 years, so it is incredibly exciting for us to be able announce this partnership with such a well-respected carrier. We have been wanting to expand our network in the region for some time and to have Vistara on board is great news for our customers and for companies based in these important cities. Whether it’s soaking up the beaches in Goa, India’s sunshine state, exploring Kochi, Kerala’s colourful city, or taking in the temples and culture of Amritsar, this partnership opens up a whole new range of destinations for holidaymakers too.”
The codeshare flights will offer convenient connections to and from the seven daily flights that British Airways already operates to Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru, directly from London Heathrow. Vistara flights operate from the same terminals as British Airways at Delhi (T3) and Mumbai (T2), making connections at these airports convenient and seamless.
British Airways customers travelling on Vistara will enjoy complimentary meals and will be able to choose between three different cabins, including India’s only Premium Economy class. As part of the codeshare agreement, British Airways Executive Club members can also collect Avios and earn tier points when booking on ‘BA’ coded Vistara flights.
As the highest-rated Indian airline on Skytrax and TripAdvisor, and winner of several best-in-industry awards, Vistara has consistently raised the bar for operations and service standards in the Indian aviation market in a short span of less than four years. The airline today serves 22 destinations with over 800 flights a week and a fleet of 22 aircraft. Recently, Vistara expressed its intent to order a combination of purchased and leased aircraft totalling 50 from the Airbus A320neo family (including the A321neo) well as six purchased Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.
About Vistara (TATA SIA Airlines Limited)
TATA SIA Airlines Limited, known by the brand name Vistara, is a joint venture between Tata Sons Limited and Singapore Airlines Limited (SIA) with Tata Sons holding the majority stake of 51% in the company and SIA holding the remaining 49%. Vistara brings together Tata’s and SIA’s legendary hospitality and renowned service excellence to launch the finest full service carrier in India aimed at creating memorable and personalized flying experiences for its customers. Vistara commenced its commercial operations on January 9, 2015 with an aim to set new standards in the aviation industry in India.
About British Airways
British Airways’ route network currently serves more than 200 destinations around the world. The airline has been flying to India for over 90 years and currently operates 49 flights a week between London Heathrow and five key cities in India namely Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. From October 2015, customers from Delhi became the first at British Airways globally to experience the most technologically advanced Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and the new First cabin.
The airline operates from the award-winning London Heathrow Terminal 5 that is exclusive to the customers of British Airways and Iberia Airlines. In March 2018, London Heathrow won the awards for the World’s Best Airport Shopping, Best Airport Terminals (T2 & T5) and came in the World’s Top 10 airports at the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2018.
In October 2017, British Airways and its frequent flyer programme, Executive Club, was awarded Best Short-Haul Carrier and Best Frequent Flyer Programme by Business Traveller for the 12th consecutive year. British Airways’ Concorde Room at London Heathrow Terminal 5 was awarded Best Airport Lounge. The oneworld® alliance, of which British Airways was a founding airline, came in first in the Best Airline Alliance category for the fifth year running.
In February 2018, oneworld, of which British Airways was a founding airline, was again named Best Airline Alliance at Business Traveller Cellars in the Sky 2017.
