Promo Radar™
List of promotions, sales, and discounts as announced by airlines.
We are currently monitoring over 150 carriers, including Air India.
updated November 27, 2023
What is the best time to book Air India flights?
The best time to book international Air India flights is between 2 to 8 months before your travel date. The prime booking window (the most likely time to find the bargains) is 4–6 months before takeoff. For Air India domestic flights within India, making a reservation from 4 to 8 weeks in advance is recommended.
Why do prices fluctuate?
Airfare prices fluctuate due to demand, seasonal trends, and competition, causing numerous price drops and increases as your departure date approaches.Airlines such as Air India use sophisticated revenue management systems to adjust pricing for optimal seat sales. Generally, as seats are sold, prices tend to become more expensive.
Don’t book too early
Air India start selling their flights 9–12 months in advance. However, booking a ticket too early in that window can be an expensive mistake – the airline typically starts by setting prices at a relatively high level to capture early demand from those willing to pay more to secure their seats.
Prime Booking Window
For long-haul flights with Air India, the best time to book your ticket is around 4–6 months before departure. It is the “Prime Booking Window” – after some seats have already been sold, the airline starts dropping prices to stimulate demand. It may also offer promotions and sales (especially for flights departing from its hub in Indira Gandhi International Airport DEL, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport BOM). This is the ideal time for bargain hunting.
Fly on weekdays
It makes a difference which day of the week you board the plane. Midweek travel (especially Tuesdays and Wednesdays) is less busy and likely cheaper than flying on weekends. The Indian airline charges higher prices for weekend travel due to the high demand from people going on short getaways or visiting family and friends.
Opt for early morning flights
Select a late night or early morning (1–5 am) flight to save on airfare. Air India often offers discounts on their first morning flight (up to 15-20%) simply because of lower demand – most people are not willing to go to the airport so early. Moreover, morning flights have fewer delays, and airport queues are usually shorter.
Peak seasons are expensive
Peak travel seasons are always expensive – due to higher base prices set by Air India for dates it expects to be popular. Avoid the high season during summer and major holidays, including holidays in the country you’re flying to.
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Why is Air India so cheap on ATC?
Air India can be extremely cheap when you seize opportunities such as ‘mistake fares‘, sudden price drops, sales and promotions or employ strategies like hidden city ticketing. Moreover, Air India flights associated with their main Indian hub airport — Indira Gandhi International Airport DEL — are typically priced lower due to the benefits of economies of scale and streamlined operations.
Air Traveler Club has a team of experts who diligently monitor for price reductions, promotional offers (often not widely advertised), under-the-radar airline sales, and other potential savings on flights. In the case of Air India, we particularly focus on tracking prices for flights originating from their Delhi hub.
These valuable findings are then promptly relayed to our subscribers as exclusive SuperDeals.
Air India reviews 2023,A.I. summary
We let the A.I. analyze thousands of Air India reviews for an averaged, more accurate rating and opinion. Please note: this is an experimental feature.
Overall rating
| Baggage handling | ★★★☆☆ |
|---|---|
| Seat comfort | ★★★☆☆ |
| Food | ★★★☆☆ |
| Entertainment | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Crew | ★★★☆☆ |
| Customer support | ★★★☆☆ |
Is Air India a good airline?
Air India is a decent airline. It earned a modest 3/5 rating, reflecting a satisfactory but inconsistent passenger experience that varies in quality.
With a network covering over 100 destinations, it offers a fairly extensive route map compared to other similar carriers, although it lacks some international coverage. On the pricing front, Air India generally offers competitive fares, particularly on domestic routes, making it a go-to choice for budget-conscious travelers.
While business class generally receives favorable reviews for comfort and amenities, the economy class is criticized for its aging infrastructure.
In summary, Air India offers reasonable value for money, especially for domestic flights, but there’s room for enhancing overall service quality.
Strengths
- Wide network: Air India has a wide network of domestic and international flights, connecting major cities and tourist destinations worldwide. This makes it a convenient choice for travelers, especially those visiting India or traveling between India and other countries.
- Friendly and attentive staff: Many passengers praise the friendly and attentive service provided by Air India staff, both on the ground and in the air.
- Affordable fares: Air India offers competitive fares, especially on domestic flights.
Weaknesses
- Flight delays and cancellations: Air India has a history of flight delays and cancellations, which can be frustrating for passengers.
- Poor on-board amenities: Some passengers complain about the quality of onboard amenities on Air India flights, such as the food, entertainment system, and seats.
- Lack of consistency: There is a lack of consistency in the quality of service Air India provides. Some passengers have positive experiences, while others have negative experiences. This can make it difficult for passengers to know what to expect when flying with Air India.
Passenger's experience
Is Air India a budget airline?
No, Air India is not a budget airline but a traditional, full-service carrier. It is one of the largest airlines in India, a member of the Star Alliance, and it offers a broad spectrum of services that distinguish it from budget airlines. These include free checked baggage, complimentary meals and beverages (even in Economy), on-board amenities (blankets, pillows, sometimes noise-cancelling headphones) on long-haul flights, and a wide range of in-flight entertainment.
Furthermore, Air India provides multiple travel classes, such as Economy, Premium Economy, Business, First — each with varying levels of comfort, space, and amenities. In contrast, budget airlines typically offer only Economy class with minimal benefits.
What can I expect when flying with Air India?
When flying with Air India, you can expect a vast network of routes and generally friendly, attentive staff, making it a convenient and comfortable option for diverse travel needs.
However, the airline’s track record with flight delays and inconsistent service quality leaves room for improvement. Onboard amenities like food and entertainment systems often receive mixed reviews. Despite these drawbacks, Air India’s competitive fares, particularly on domestic routes, offer decent value for money but with a varying degree of passenger satisfaction.
What are the seating options?
- Economy Class: Standard seating with basic amenities, offering a cost-effective way to travel. In-flight entertainment and meal service are typically included
- Premium Economy: A step up from Economy, this class offers more legroom, enhanced meal options, and priority boarding.
- Business Class: Featuring spacious seats that often convert into flat beds, Business Class also provides an elevated dining experience, additional baggage allowance, and lounge access.
- First Class: The pinnacle of luxury, First Class on Air India includes private suites or pods, gourmet dining, and personalized service, along with the perks of Business Class.
Is Air India economy comfortable?
Air India’s Economy Class offers a moderate to high level of comfort, according to official seat specifications and passenger reviews.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, commonly used for long-haul flights, offers a seat pitch of 31 to 33 inches and a seat width of 17.5 inches. In-flight entertainment is robust, but the quality of meals and customer service has received mixed reviews.
Overall, Air India’s Economy Class meets industry standards in seat dimensions and entertainment, although there are areas, such as cabin cleanliness and food quality, that could see improvement.
How to get an extra legroom seat on Air India plane?
Securing an extra legroom seat on a Air India plane requires some planning and flexibility, but you can easily score one of these seats by familiarizing yourself with the cabin layout and checking in for your flight early. You may also consider paying for an upgrade to a seat with ample legroom and enhanced comfort.
As the location of the extra legroom seats varies depending on the aircraft, we recommend visiting the SeatGuru website. By simply entering your Air India flight number, you can access a detailed seat map specific to your flight. Hover over individual seats to identify those with ample legroom. They are often found in exit rows, bulkhead rows (the first row in each cabin section), or other designated areas that offer additional legroom.
Due to their desirable features, the preferred seats are in high demand. They are often limited in number and typically incur additional fees. Seats with extra legroom located in front and exit rows ("hot seats") are priced higher. However, for medium– and long–haul flights, the additional cost of $10-$50 may be worth the increased comfort. Hot seats typically provide at least 36 inches of legroom (4-6 inches more than standard economy seats), wider seat pitch, and may also have adjustable footrests and recline further back.
Paying for an extra legroom seat is usually a more affordable option than upgrading to a Premium Economy.
What is the baggage allowance?
Air India Baggage Allowance: Your Definitive Guide by Class
Economy Class:
- Hand Baggage: 1 piece, up to 8 kg (17.6 lbs)
- Checked Baggage: 1 piece, up to 25 kg (55 lbs) for domestic flights; 2 pieces, each up to 23 kg (50.7 lbs) for international flights
Premium Economy:
- Hand Baggage: 1 piece, up to 8 kg (17.6 lbs)
- Checked Baggage: 2 pieces, each up to 23 kg (50.7 lbs) for international flights
Business Class (Also known as Executive Class):
- Hand Baggage: 1 piece, up to 8 kg (17.6 lbs)
- Checked Baggage: 2 pieces, each up to 35 kg (77 lbs) for domestic flights; 2 pieces, each up to 32 kg (70.5 lbs) for international flights
First Class:
- Hand Baggage: 1 piece, up to 8 kg (17.6 lbs)
- Checked Baggage: 3 pieces, each up to 32 kg (70.5 lbs) for international flights
Does Air India have Wi-Fi?
Air India does not offer in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity across its fleet.
Does Air India have refundable tickets?
Yes, Air India does have refundable tickets in all classes. However, the terms and conditions for refunds vary depending on the fare type and when the ticket is canceled.
Economy Class
- Comfort: Only taxes refundable
- Comfort Plus: Only taxes refundable
- Flex: ₹ 6,500 (~$78) for cancellations more than 24 hours before departure
Premium Economy
- Comfort Plus : Only taxes refundable
- Flex: ₹ 7,500 (~$90) for cancellations more than 24 hours before departure
Business Class
- Comfort Plus: Only taxes refundable
First Class
- Flex: ₹ 7,500 (~$90) for cancellations more than 24 hours before departure
- First: ₹ 7,500 (~$90) for cancellations more than 24 hours before departure
How do I obtain my Air India boarding pass?
Air India boarding pass is a travel document that contains crucial information about your flight, confirms your seat and allows you to board the plane. It includes the passenger’s name, flight number, boarding time, boarding zone, gate number, seat number, and other essential flight details. The Air India boarding pass can be in paper or electronic format. The boarding pass is issued during check-in — online on the airline's website (usually available 24 hours before the flight), its mobile app (mobile boarding pass) or at the airport. You can print your boarding pass at home or use a mobile app to store the digital boarding pass on your smartphone. Alternatively, you can check in at the airport, where the airline's representative will issue the boarding pass for you.
How to check Air India flight status?
If you have the flight number at hand, you can conveniently check the Air India flight status on the airline’s website. Visit the flight status page to get the reliable information regarding the scheduled and actual departure and arrival times.
There are several online platforms where you can check the status of Air India flight: FlightRadar24, FlightStats, or FlightAware. They offer comprehensive information about any flight (regardless of the airline) – including real-time flight tracking.
Alternatively, input your flight number directly into Google's search bar. Drawing data from diverse sources (including the airlines themselves), Google will provide you with all the crucial flight information right on the search results page.
Air India shortcuts
Essential links to Air India official website.
Air India flight booking
Search Air India flights and book your Economy, Premium Economy, Business, First class ticket online.
Online check-in
How to check-in and receive your Air India boarding pass?
Air India baggage policy
Learn about checked and hand luggage regulations on Air India flights.
Flexible tickets
Want to change your flight? Air India flexible booking offer and policies.
Refunds and cancellations
Guidelines on returning a Air India ticket and getting your money back.
Air India help & support
Get in touch with the airline: customer service numbers, call centers, offices, and more.
Why are Air India flights so expensive in 2023?
Airfares soared in 2023. Air India flights are more expensive now due to rising demand, limited supply, inflation, fuel prices, closed airspace, and increased operational costs.
One key factor within your control is the timing of your booking. To save money on travel, it’s wise to plan ahead – the best time to book international flights with Air India is between 2 to 8 months before your departure date.
The primary elements that impact the cost of flights:
- Rising demand With more people traveling in the post-pandemic era, airlines have no incentive to lower prices. Instead, they capitalize on spiked demand and raise prices to make up for lost revenue during the period of 2020-2022.
- Limited supply In 2023 Air India is still operating at reduced capacity after the pandemic. Staffing shortages of pilots, plane crew, and airport workers lead to flight cancellations and delays, affecting the supply even more. With fewer flights, the Indian carrier charges more for the plane tickets that are available.
- Inflation Inflation has a significant impact on flight prices, as it directly increases the cost of fuel and labor for airlines. This can be particularly true for Air India that operates in countries with high inflation rates.
- Jet fuel costs Fuel is a significant airline cost, influenced by crude oil prices, geopolitical tensions, and supply chain disruptions. To cope with rising fuel prices, the airline may pass it on to travelers in the form of a fuel surcharge added to the ticket price.
- Closed airspace Avoiding airspace due to war, political conflicts, extreme weather, or natural disasters make airline tickets more expensive. Air India may be forced to take longer routes to reach the destination airport – which means higher fuel and labor costs.
- Air India operating costs The costs of labor, aircraft maintenance, aircraft leasing or purchasing expenses, marketing, etc. significantly increased in 2023. As Air India aims to remain profitable, it must factor in these operating costs when setting ticket prices.
- Will flight prices go down in 2023?Historical trends suggest that airfare prices will fluctuate based on the factors described above. As long as the demand for travel is up, so is airfare. After tough years the Air India is in no position to offer discounts for passengers and will likely try to maximize profits in 2023.
Air India price history charts
and price-drop alerts
Understanding past airfare trends for your chosen Air India flight route can help you forecast future prices and identify ideal booking times.
Google Flights is one of the best tools that provide access to price history — it tracks airfare fluctuations, predicts price changes based on historical data, and helps to pinpoint optimal booking times. In addition to viewing price history charts, you can set up price alerts for Air India flights via email — and catch price drops as they happen.
While the tracking tools provide valuable insights on Air India price history, they cannot guarantee future prices. They are also usually restricted to one particular route. For regular updates on price drops and deals across various popular destinations (holiday ideas!), consider Air Traveler Club — it’s free to join.
Air India tips
How to ensure smooth transit between Air India connecting flights
Before your trip, research your connecting airport. Familiarize yourself with its layout, terminals, amenities, and the location of your connecting gate. This will save you time and stress during your layover. Every airport has a minimum connection time — make sure your layover is longer than this minimum time.
Additionally:
- You may need to move between terminals if you have a connecting flight with a different airline or separate point-to-point tickets with Air India. Each flight may require individual check-in procedures and an additional pass through security. As your luggage may not be automatically transferred to your final destination, you’ll need to retrieve your bags and check them in again for your subsequent flight.
- When flights are booked on separate tickets, Air India is not responsible if you miss your connection due to a delay with the first flight. Allow plenty of buffer time between flights to account for any potential delays.
- Gate assignments can change. Regularly check the flight information boards to ensure you’re in the right place.
- If your airport connection is tight (1-hour layover or less), pick a set near the front of the plane. It can shave 5–10 minutes off your deplaning time, especially on larger planes. Consider purchasing “hot seats” if available on your plane — they cost extra, but it may be worth it.
- When flying domestically, try not to book the last flight out of your connecting airport. In case of a cancellation, the airline will put you on its next flight, but it will require an overnight stay and arrival a day later.
- Flights can be delayed or canceled. Have a backup plan in case you miss your connecting flight. Know your rights and the Air India policy on missed connections.
Booking group flights with Air India
Flights are cheaper when purchased in bulk rather than as individual tickets. Booking group flights with Air India can be a cost-effective option for a school trip, family reunion, or corporate group traveling to a conference.
To qualify for the special group rate, the group must usually have at least 10 passengers. Discounts depend on the group size and travel dates and typically range from 5% to 20% off the regular airfare.
Air India website typically limits automatic group bookings to 9 passengers. This limit reflects the complexity of managing larger groups, which require personalized service and more time to coordinate. To get the price quote for your group, you’ll need to contact the airline directly.
A travel agent may be better if you want more personalized service. Travel agents may have access to discounted group rates for Air India and can help with logistics and scheduling.