The Air India-Vistara merger is nearing closure and with that Vistara flights will cease to exist. Earlier, the Indian government gave its approval to Singapore Airlines for foreign direct investment under the merger, pushing the deal further ahead.
Soon after, Air India and Vistara announced that Vistara will continue to operate flights till November 11.
Let’s take a look at the changes coming in for Vistara passengers, starting this month.
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Will Vistara stop taking bookings from September 3?
Yes, and no. As per an announcement by the airlines, starting September 3, passengers trying to book Vistara flights for travel on or after November 12, will be redirected to the Air India website. However, Vistara will allow passengers to make booking for travel dates till November 11.
“From 3rd September, customers seeking to book flights departing on or after 12th November via Vistara’s website will progressively be redirected to Air India’s site to complete the booking,” a statement read.
Meanwhile, bookings and travel till November 11, 2024, will continue as usual.
There will be no Vistara flights from November 12. All the Vistara flight numbers will change to Air India ones. However, in most cases the aircraft, schedule and operating crew will remain the same till early 2025.
“All customers already booked on Vistara flights after 12th November will automatically have their reservations converted to Air India flight numbers; this will occur in phases during September, and customers will be individually informed when this occurs,” the airlines said.
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Club Vistara
Once the integration of the two airlines is finalised, Club Vistara will be incorporated into Air India’s frequent flyer program, Flying Returns. All Club Vistara accounts will be transitioned to Flying Returns.
Customers with existing accounts in both loyalty programs can link them through Vistara’s website. If an account holder does not link their accounts before the merger, they will be automatically merged, assuming key identification and contact details match. In cases where there is a discrepancy in these details, a new Flying Returns account will be created, and Club Vistara points will be transferred to it. Members can later consolidate any duplicate Flying Returns accounts.
