By Maksim Koval, 6 July 2024
Air India signature sales and promotions
Air India offers a spectrum of promotions and sales, especially to its focus destinations. You can browse all live promotions in the popular ATC directory.
Here’s a list of recurring types of promotions that have historically been part of the airline’s marketing strategy:
- Flying Returns Program Air India's loyalty program, Flying Returns, allows passengers to earn and redeem miles on both domestic and international routes. Members enjoy perks like additional baggage allowance and priority check-in, making it an alluring option for frequent flyers.
- Concessionary Fares Air India offers a range of discounted fares aimed at specific demographics, including students, senior citizens, and armed forces personnel. The airline tailors these rates to the needs of these groups, thereby making air travel more accessible to them.
- Advance Purchase Fares Ideal for early planners, these fares offer a discount for bookings made well in advance of the travel date. These are often a steal for both business and leisure travelers who can firm up their plans early.
- Weekend Getaways Air India periodically runs Weekend Getaway promotions, offering discounted rates for weekend flights. These are typically aimed at leisure travelers looking to make quick weekend trips without breaking the bank.
- Festive Sale Timed to coincide with significant festivals or national holidays, Air India's Festive Sales offer discounted fares to celebrate the occasion. These are seasonal and are generally announced a few weeks before the festival, attracting both domestic and international travelers.
When does Air India have sales?
Air India typically has major sales and offers discounted fares during periods outside the peak travel season. Additionally, you may want to keep an eye on special sale events that can occur anytime.
- January It’s not a popular time for most people to travel, so to incentivize travel and keep planes full, Air India usually runs major sales campaigns.
- March–April The spring season, particularly March and April, is considered a “dead zone” for travel when most airlines offer discounted fares to boost demand. Air India often use a spring sale to encourage early bookings for summer vacations.
- September–October These months, just after the summer peak season also see great, low fares as the Indian carrier tries to stimulate decreasing demand.
- Black Friday/Cyber Monday This shopping holiday in late November is one of the biggest sale periods for most airlines.
- Mid-November Air India may run sales around 1-2 weeks before Black Friday in mid-November. This allows them to get a head start on other carriers that typically have big sales around Black Friday.
- Special sales The airline sometimes celebrates its anniversaries with special promotions. Travel Expos and fairs, where the airline participates, are also opportunities for the company to run exclusive sales, often only available to attendees.
- Last-minute deals These occasional deals are much less predictable. The airline can put some seats on sale for dates just before departure, but these are typically for unusual times and unpopular places.
- Flash sales These spontaneous, short-term sales are often one of the best ways to save on flights. Flash sales can happen at any time and are often announced with little notice. They typically last only a few hours to a couple of days.
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To take advantage of these sales, it’s essential to stay subscribed to the airline’s newsletter and follow its social media channels. The best strategy is to be flexible with your travel dates and look for off-peak times.
A quick guide to Air India promo codes
Air India promo codes are one of the best ways to save money when flying with the airline. They usually come in the form of alphanumeric strings such as SUMMER25, STUDENT10, EARLYBIRD, SEATUPGRADE, etc.
You can browse the latest promo codes in our directory.
How much can I save?
The amount you can save on Air India flights can vary — discount codes typically reduce airfare by 10-25%. Occasionally, promo codes offer savings of up to 50%.
Where to enter Air India promo code
To book a flight with a promo code, enter it during the booking process on the Air India website. Locate the designated field — usually labeled “Promotion Code” or similar — at the checkout screen. You will see the new price (the discount will typically apply to the pre-taxed base fare), and a success message.
The fine print
Most promo codes come with conditions, such as limited validity periods and blackout dates during peak travel seasons. Additionally, they cannot be combined with other discounts or used for bookings made through call centers or at airport counters.
Why don't OTAs
have promo fares?
When you search for flights on OTAs like Expedia, KAYAK, or Skyscanner, you’re accessing data from Global Distribution Systems (GDS) like Amadeus and Sabre, the New Distribution Capability (NDC) system, and direct airline partnerships.
These sources mainly provide standard airfares found on airlines’ websites—which explains why flights have always very similar prices across all OTAs.
However, airlines often reserve their most aggressive or enticing promotions for their own direct sales channels—primarily their websites. These special fares are not fed into GDS systems, and, as a result, OTAs usually don’t include exclusive sales and promotions.
How to keep track
of airline promotions then?
The best way is to take advantage of Air Traveler Club membership, which gives you access to the largest directory of current sales and promotions from more than 150 airlines. The offers are gathered, curated, and published daily.
All airline promotions, sales, and discounts can be viewed in one place:
Where to find Air India promotions?
Stay in touch with the airline. The primary source is Air India official website . The airline’s social media channels are also excellent resources for current promotions. Additionally, subscribing to Air India newsletter can give you access to exclusive offers and early notifications about upcoming sales.
Does Air India have student discount?
Student discounts are a standard offering from Air India. The airline offers significant price reductions to young people, particularly those enrolled in educational institutions. The “Student” page provides the key details:
Air India also rolls out occassional promotions for young travelers. These varied promotions often feature “youth fares” designed for passengers below a certain age threshold (typically between 18 and 25 years old). These promotion fares are particularly prevalent for flights originating from the airline’s main airport hub (Indira Gandhi International Airport DEL
), bound for either academic centers or popular vacation destinations.
Additionally, Air India sometimes partner with Indian educational institutions, as well as travel platforms like IYTC, ISIC, StudentUniverse, and STA Travel, to offer discounted fares to students. After confirming student status (via educational email addresses or student ID), students are granted access to an exclusive, discounted flights from Air India, with fare reductions generally spanning from 5% to 20% off standard prices.
Find out which airlines have active student discounts right now.
Child promo
Do kids fly free?
Air India discounts for children
Air India doesn’t offer regular free or discounted flight tickets for kids. However, infants can travel for free if they don’t occupy a seat. According to the airline’s policy, children under 2 years old can travel for free on the lap of an accompanying adult passenger on domestic flights. For international flights, fees may apply, typically amounting to 10% of the adult ticket price.
For a detailed explanation, check out the ‘Children’ section on the airline’s website.
In the world of commercial aviation, the notion of “free flights for kids” is largely a myth — airlines don’t like to give away seats for children who are too old to sit on your lap for the entire journey. However, discounted fares for young travelers are much easier to find.
Air India occasionally offers promotions where children can fly for a fraction of the adult fare. They typically target children aged 10 to 12 and below, offering savings ranging from 25% to 75% off the ticket price. But there’s a catch — these promotions are often timed to avoid peak travel seasons like school holidays and may be restricted to specific, less popular routes.
Family discounts and promo tickets
While Air India doesn’t offer dedicated family discounts, it does provide various services to make travel more convenient and enjoyable for families. These offerings range from seasonal promos to an array of family-centric packages, travel perks and benefits.
Air India occasionally rolls out seasonal promotions and partnerships that may include family vacation packages, often in collaboration with popular resorts and tourist destinations. There may be special family-oriented flight discounts during school holidays and festive seasons, and early bird discounts for those who book their flights in advance. However, these family deals are not part of the airline’s regular fare offerings.
While not a family-specific discount, Air India Economy Plus seating offers more legroom and is often situated closer to the front of the aircraft. Dedicated overhead bin space and priority boarding may also be included. Families often opt for this upgrade to ensure a more comfortable journey and faster disembarkation.
All current family deals from every airline, in one place.
Vacation packages
Holiday deals and special offers
from Air India
Air India core expertise lies in air travel, rather than comprehensive holiday or vacation packages. Their promotions typically target flights. However, they may occasionally partner with third-party companies like hotels, car rental agencies, and travel platforms to offer limited-time, all-inclusive vacation packages.
The latest holiday promotions from Air India and other carriers can be found in the premium version of Air Traveler Club.
Exclusive promotions
Flying Returns — loyalty program promotions
Air India frequently rolls out seasonal promotions and special offers dedicated exclusively to members of its loyalty program, Flying Returns. They offer opportunities to boost your points balance with extra points (miles) and accelerate your progression through the program’s elite tiers. During promotions, members may purchase additional miles at a discounted rate, earn them faster, or redeem flights at significantly discounted mileage rates.
Periodic promotions may include partnerships with hotels and car rental companies, offering members exclusive discounts or additional points when booking through Air India partners.
Even without ongoing promotions, Flying Returns offers substantial value to loyal customers. Program members get access to numerous benefits, such as: priority check-in, extra legroom, free baggage allowance, in-flight meal service, access to VIP lounge
Visit the official “Flying Returns” page for more details:
Business class promotions
In the competitive world of commercial aviation, Air India deploy an array of marketing strategies to entice business class passengers. It frequently offers attractive promotions for business class seats — aimed at filling seats and solidifying long-term relationships with customers. Regularly, the carrier rolls out percentage-based discounts for its premium cabin, which can range from 10% to as high as 25%.
Senior citizen discounts and promos
Air India has special discounts for passengers who qualify as senior citizens. The discount amount may depend on the passenger’s age and have additional conditions attached. For full details and requirements, visit the airline’s ‘Concessionary Fares For Senior Citizen’ page:
From time to time, Air India run limited-time promotions and sales events specifically aimed at particular passenger demographics, including seniors. These discounts might not always be broadcasted to the public or applicable across all routes. Therefore, it’s worth to make direct inquiries with the airline or consult their reservations team for information on discounts for seniors on the particular itinerary.
Discounts for military personnel and veterans
To honor the service of both active-duty military personnel and veterans, Air India offers discounted flights to those in uniform. The extent of the discount varies based on several factors, including the route, seat availability, and whether the travel is for official duty or leisure.
For current information about military discounts, visit the ‘Concessions for India’s Armed Forces’ page on the airindia.com website:
In addition to discounted fares, military personnel and veterans can benefit from perks like priority boarding, flexible ticketing, and waived baggage fees — essential for active-duty members with gear that surpasses standard limits. These advantages often extend to their families as well.
To access these special rates and perks, travelers need valid ID such as military IDs, discharge papers, or other official documents confirming active-duty or veteran status. While military-specific discounts aren’t usually listed online, they can be obtained by contacting Air India or authorized agents directly.
Rewards from co-branded credit cards
Air India co-branded credit cards provide a fast track to travel rewards, exclusive perks, and premium services. With generous sign-up bonuses (sometimes sufficient for a round-trip domestic flight), cardholders can quickly earn Flying Returns points redeemable for flights, seat upgrades, and more. Moreover, cards typically come with robust travel insurance, such as trip cancellation insurance and baggage loss reimbursement.
As with any financial product, the key is in the details. Check out the airline’s official website to scrutinize the terms and conditions:
Air India corporate deals
For large businesses and corporations, Air India offers a comprehensive range of services that go beyond mere transportation. From customized fare packages, corporate rewards, and priority services to dedicated support and travel data analytics — the focus is on making corporate travel efficient, comfortable, and easy to manage.
FAQ
Can I get discount on Air India?
Yes, Air India offers a spectrum of promotions, seasonal sales, and discount codes throughout the year. You can find them all in the directory created and maintained by Air Traveler Club.
How can I get notified about upcoming Air India promotions?
Air Traveler Club has the option of email or mobile app notifications for promotions run by Air India (and over 150 other airlines). Alternatively, you can subscribe to the airline’s newsletter, or follow them on social media.
Do Air India flights ever go on sale?
Yes, Air India flights often go on sale during off-peak travel seasons. The airline also participate in major sale events like Black Friday and sometimes offer flash sales or last-minute deals with little notice. To catch these offers, it’s best to subscribe to their newsletter, follow their social media channels.
How to use Air India flight coupon?
Air India flight coupon is a physical or digital voucher that has a certain monetary value or specific offer attached to it. Flight coupons may be issued as compensation for delayed or canceled flights, as part of a loyalty program reward, or may be distributed during special promotional events. They can also be purchased for future use or given as gifts. Flight coupons can be applied to various aspects of your travel experience, from ticket fares to seat upgrades and even in-flight amenities.
Like promo codes, these coupons may have specific conditions such as route restrictions, blackout dates, or a minimum booking value.
Is Air India promo legit?
Yes, all Air India promotions, promo codes, and discounts listed in our directory are legit. We only publish offers that are available on the official website, or through airline marketing channels such as newsletter, social media accounts, etc.
Are Air India promo tickets refundable?
All Air India discounted tickets are non-refundable, unless otherwise stated.
User Review
3.9 (588 votes)Air India sales & promotions
Air India offers various promotions and sales to cater to customer needs. One of the most straightforward ways to secure a deal is through promo codes and flight coupons, often distributed via email newsletters or select partnerships.
The airline periodically rolls out special promotions and sales events that may include discounted fares to select groups of passengers — families, students, young travelers, etc. In addition to discounted fares, Air India customers may benefit from perks like priority boarding, flexible ticketing, and waived baggage fees. It’s worth noting that many of these promotions come with specific conditions attached — such as route restrictions, blackout dates, or a minimum booking value.
About the author
Maksim Koval
Aviation industry expert, digital editor at Tiket2 since 2010, and the pioneering founder of the Air Traveler Club.
Maksim is a Bali-based seasoned travel writer, avid flyer, tinkerer, photographer, motorbiker, animal lover, and the truest evangelist of the company. His dedication to providing valuable insights and engaging content has established him as a trusted voice in the industry.
You can contact him via email at maksim[at]tiket2.com.