British Airways announced a new partnership with Vistara that will allow passengers to book flights to London from destinations operated by the Indian carrier.
“As part of the new agreement customers can book seats on Vistara flights to destinations across India from Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi. Seats are available to buy on ba.com from today, for travel from September 27, 2018,” said a release from British Airways.
The agreement means that British Airways customers will now be able to visit 13 new destinations across the region, opening up cities such as Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Goa, Kolkata, Kochi, and Pune that have previously been more difficult to access from the UK.
With this partnership, British Airways customers traveling on the codeshare flights will be able to check their bags straight through to their final destination and both airlines use the same terminals at Delhi and Mumbai airports, making it even easier for customers to connect on to domestic services.
British Airways operates two direct flights a day from Heathrow to Mumbai, a double daily service to Delhi and a daily flight to Chennai. The airline also flies direct to Hyderabad and Bengaluru from Terminal 5 and is rolling out a £4.5 billion, five-year customer investment plan, that includes the installation of the best quality Wi-Fi and the delivery of 72 new aircraft.
“We have been flying to India for more than 90 years, so it is incredibly exciting for us to be able to 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. This partnership opens up a whole new range of destinations for holidaymakers too,” Rishi Kapoor, British Airways’ Head of Alliances, was quoted in the release.
“This partnership reaffirms our commitment to taking India’s finest airline brand beyond Indian borders, and it gives us the opportunity of welcoming travelers 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,” Sanjiv Kapoor, Chief Strategy & Commercial Officer, Vistara, was quoted in the release.
Customers traveling 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, the release added.
