DRMumbai: Vistara and British Airways took their interline partnership a step ahead with the airways signing a codeshare agreement on Thursday. Vistara is now the only codeshare partner for British Airways in India wherein the latter 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 opened on the same day on all channels and major GDS systems for flights starting September 27, 2018.
Sanjiv Kapoor, Chief Strategy & Commercial Officer, Vistara, 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, Head of Alliances, British Airways, 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.
Vistara 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.
