Air India Baggage Allowance on Domestic lowered to 15KG
May 9, 2024, 2:49 pm
#1
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Air India Baggage Allowance on Domestic lowered to 15KG
https://www.financialexpress.com/bus...gment-3477463/
AI has reduced baggage allowance on domestic flights for tickets sold from 2nd May. The lowest fare has only 15 kg, in line with other airlines. One can purchase higher bag allowance for higher fare. I guess Air India management has decided that there is no need to give 25 kg allowance on lowest fares as they may be not getting any additional revenue towards ticket sales.
AI has reduced baggage allowance on domestic flights for tickets sold from 2nd May. The lowest fare has only 15 kg, in line with other airlines. One can purchase higher bag allowance for higher fare. I guess Air India management has decided that there is no need to give 25 kg allowance on lowest fares as they may be not getting any additional revenue towards ticket sales.
May 9, 2024, 11:55 pm
#2
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I think this is a completely justified change, and goes in line with what the norm is in the Indian market. Obviously AI has to differentiate as a full service carrier vs an LCC so there's an argument to be made that they should have a higher baggage allowance. But this does come with an additional revenue stream + reduced weight on planes leading to lower fuel consumption and lower costs.
I would think 15kgs + cabin bags should be more than enough for the vast majority of domestic trips.
I would think 15kgs + cabin bags should be more than enough for the vast majority of domestic trips.
May 10, 2024, 2:15 am
#3
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I think this is a completely justified change, and goes in line with what the norm is in the Indian market. Obviously AI has to differentiate as a full service carrier vs an LCC so there's an argument to be made that they should have a higher baggage allowance. But this does come with an additional revenue stream + reduced weight on planes leading to lower fuel consumption and lower costs.
I would think 15kgs + cabin bags should be more than enough for the vast majority of domestic trips.
I would think 15kgs + cabin bags should be more than enough for the vast majority of domestic trips.
May 10, 2024, 7:25 pm
#4
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It's a weird random stupid number. 15 kgs. A big deviation and therefore a massive pain and cost for international travelers.
Excess luggage cost to 23 kgs on all airlines except AI is generally worth more than that ticket.
It's a how to screw over customers 101.
Excess luggage cost to 23 kgs on all airlines except AI is generally worth more than that ticket.
It's a how to screw over customers 101.
May 12, 2024, 2:22 pm
#5
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They should have lowered it to 23kgs. I can see why they are doing this but at the end of the day the customer gets screwed over.
May 12, 2024, 8:56 pm
#6
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It's a weird random stupid number. 15 kgs. A big deviation and therefore a massive pain and cost for international travelers.
Excess luggage cost to 23 kgs on all airlines except AI is generally worth more than that ticket.
It's a how to screw over customers 101.
Excess luggage cost to 23 kgs on all airlines except AI is generally worth more than that ticket.
It's a how to screw over customers 101.
May 12, 2024, 11:18 pm
#7
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Having a non standard baggage amount and a baggage fee of about ₹4k for the additional 7 kgs makes it an awful money grab by the airlines. And the most expensive baggage fees (that I've heard of). We don't need to victim blame international travellers for this. What the airlines are doing is just flat out wrong.
May 13, 2024, 6:25 am
#8
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To be fair all the LCCs offer subsidised baggage rates if you have an international flight within 48hrs of the domestic flight.
May 13, 2024, 7:43 am
#9
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I dont see how the customer is inconvenienced. One has the option of buying a higher fare priced ticket which gives the passengers 25 kg allowance. And if you buy separate tickets, AI honors higher luggage allowance for connections if flown by AI and a select few partners, like ANA, within the same day. Airlines of India are still better than US (except Southwest) and European carriers, they still have a free 15 kg allowance for all passengers, regardless of status.
May 13, 2024, 7:52 am
#10
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You often have to. Whether it's dynamic business travel or visiting multiple places.... or awards or preferring long haul J and short haul Y, having unconfirmed or flexible plans or buying the long haul ticket 6-9 months in advance and figuring out your itinerary closer to travel or any 10,000 other reasons. It's not possible to always have a single ticket for your travels. Never ever works that way.
Having a non standard baggage amount and a baggage fee of about ₹4k for the additional 7 kgs makes it an awful money grab by the airlines. And the most expensive baggage fees (that I've heard of). We don't need to victim blame international travellers for this. What the airlines are doing is just flat out wrong.
Having a non standard baggage amount and a baggage fee of about ₹4k for the additional 7 kgs makes it an awful money grab by the airlines. And the most expensive baggage fees (that I've heard of). We don't need to victim blame international travellers for this. What the airlines are doing is just flat out wrong.
May 13, 2024, 8:43 am
#11
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Well if our argument is "at least it isn't as bad as UA" then I think we've already lost the argument. Sure there are a few (maybe 2-3) exceptions to baggage rules including international flights within 24 hours, pay 2-3k+ for 7kgs extra with AI only in Y.... ummmm... can't think of another one.
today
Now here's my questions.
today
Now here's my questions.
- Why the random number of 15 kgs? Why not keep it at the international standard and indeed the Indian standard of 23kgs in Y? This question is applicable for all Indian airlines
- Why does 7 kgs excess baggage in India cost the same as 23kgs check-in baggage in the US? Applicable for all Indian airlines except AI. How do they justify this?
- Why 25kgs in J for AI? Why isn't it 32 kgs? How does one justify that a 30-40k ticket shouldn't include that baggage allowance today? What's changed to force them to do that?
So how is this anything but a money grab? With AI's reduced their luggage allowance, lets assume AI's fuel consumption has reduced by 20%. Assuming ATF is 50-60% of the ticket cost - then the ticket cost should also reduce by 10%. But it won't. Gee, I wonder why.
May 13, 2024, 8:49 am
#12
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the upsell to flex (and 25kg) is going to be cheaper than paying excess baggage fees in most cases. It’s standard across other markets (if a passenger flies to US with their 2 x 23, then buys a separate domestic ticket, they also get stung for the extra bags). Not victim blaming, but price discrimination by the airlines that make sense for them. Actually surprised that they didn’t introduce a zero check in bag fare
My question is simply... how is that reasonable? I'm not saying airlines shouldn't be profitable. At the same time, how is it not screwing over the customer? And why not adhere to the very standards that you yourself have set elsewhere to maintain consistency.
May 13, 2024, 10:59 pm
#13
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Well, yes. Look at Indigo pricing on monopoly routes, or how high fares go for back to school seasons. Its just that everyone is in a land grab for market share in India, so fares are generally low.
I agree, 15 kg is odd. I would recommend a piece system starting with a no bag fare, then 1/23 etc. Easier to automate and harder for agents to override. (Its very easy for someone to just enter an overweight bag as 15 kg, not 23. But they cant issue one bag tag for two checked in bags)
I agree, 15 kg is odd. I would recommend a piece system starting with a no bag fare, then 1/23 etc. Easier to automate and harder for agents to override. (Its very easy for someone to just enter an overweight bag as 15 kg, not 23. But they cant issue one bag tag for two checked in bags)
May 14, 2024, 3:45 am
#14
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I dont see how the customer is inconvenienced. One has the option of buying a higher fare priced ticket which gives the passengers 25 kg allowance. And if you buy separate tickets, AI honors higher luggage allowance for connections if flown by AI and a select few partners, like ANA, within the same day. Airlines of India are still better than US (except Southwest) and European carriers, they still have a free 15 kg allowance for all passengers, regardless of status.
Comparing Airlines in India to the US or Europe is not a fair comparison at all. There are too many different factors that come into play.
May 14, 2024, 4:03 am
#15
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My guess, they dont see enough advantage of having higher baggage allowance than Indigo or Akasa, in the market so have decided to match.
Yes, for some reason Indian airlines are less generous on domestic baggage that US or EU (comparing fares with baggage). As you say, lots of factors come into it.
Yes, for some reason Indian airlines are less generous on domestic baggage that US or EU (comparing fares with baggage). As you say, lots of factors come into it.