UAE-India flights: Airline announces cheaper tickets in new fare categories

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Now, Air India Express passengers will have the option to save on flight tickets by travelling light.

Budget carrier Air India Express has launched a new fare family, which gives travellers the option to have an increased baggage allowance of up to 40kg — or have no check-in luggage at all.

The new fare categories — which applies to flights to and from the UAE and other international destinations — are:

Xpress Lite
Xpress Value
Xpress Flex
Xpress Biz

Xpress Lite offers cabin baggage-only fares, which would be the most economical for passengers travelling with the airline.

Xpress Value fare allows 15 kg check-in bag fares while Xpress Flex offers unlimited changes with no change fees. Xpress Biz comes with business class seats, complimentary meals, and priority services.

A subsidiary of Air India and a part of Tata Group, the airline introduced Xpress Lite on February 20 for UAE passengers who want to travel without check-in baggage.

Xpress Biz fares are available on all the new Air India Express Boeing 737-8 aircraft. Travellers can enjoy increased baggage allowances of 25kg for domestic flights and 40kg for international flights when booking Xpress Biz fares. This fare provides priority check-in, baggage, and boarding services.

Air India Express is already operating aircraft with Biz seats across 70-plus routes in India.

In a previous interview with Khaleej Times, Aloke Singh, managing director of Air India Express, said the carrier was looking to increase capacity to the Gulf region, including the UAE, as well as provide better connectivity to Gulf travellers.

The budget carrier operates 195 flights between India and the UAE a week including 80 to Duba; 77 to Sharjah; 31 to Abu Dhabi; five to Ras Al Khaimah; and two to Al Ain. Across the Gulf region, it operates 308 flights a week.

Competition is heating up in the UAE-India sector, which is one of the busiest air routes in the region for a large number of NRIs live and work in the UAE. In addition, the UAE carriers also provide strong connectivity with European and American destinations, hence, many Indians fly with the UAE airlines.

In February, Emirates signed a deal with VFS Global to introduce a pre-approved visa-on-arrival facility for Indian passport holders who have booked their travel with the airline to cash in on growth travel trends between the two countries.