With its distribution channel and booking website going live today, Vistara, the aviation JV between Tata group and Singapore Airlines is ready to take to the skies. The full service carrier announced that its first flight would take-off on January 9, 2015. With Delhi as its hub, Vistara will initially offer flights to Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
Vistara’s 148-seater A320-200 will offer three separate cabins, with 16 seats in Business, 36 in Premium Economy and 96 in Economy Class. Seats for all three classes are on sales and there will not be a separate fuel surcharge.
Vistara says it is the first full service carrier in India to introduce the ‘Premium Economy’ class. Company also says it is the first airline in India to offer a value based frequent flyer program called Club Vistara, wherein loyalty points are accrued based on actual spend on the ticket fare rather than miles travelled.
Keeping up with the times, airline has done away with the physical loyalty card. Customers can start enrolling for the program through Vistara website and download their Club Vistara loyalty card.
Vistara’s distribution channels offer customers an array of options to book their travel. Bookings can be made through direct channels like the company website (www.airvistara.com) and the 24/7 Customer Service Centre (1860 108 9999) or the major Global Distribution Systems (GDS) used by Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) and other traditional travel agents. Vistara’s GDS partners include Abacus, Amadeus and Travelport, which will enable customers to book via all major travel portals.
“The activation of distribution channels is our first interface with our customer and with this, we embark on a journey to fulfill our brand promise of seamless travel experience,” Phee Teik Yeoh, Chief Executive Officer, Vistara said.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro and Amadeus are Vistara’s technology partners and will be responsible for its customer support system and IT services. They will help Vistara fulfill its brand promise of personalization of service and providing a seamless experience to customers. Wipro will manage the Vistara Customer Service Centre, which will handle all customers’ enquiries on reservations, ticketing and Club Vistara FFP. As Vistara’s strategic partner, TCS will be engaged in its IT initiatives ranging from application service transformation to consulting and business-impacting technology initiatives. Amadeus Altéa Suite will power Vistara’s travel reservations, ticketing, inventory management, airport departure control systems, as well as revenue accounting and revenue management.
