Traveling India’s busiest route between Delhi and Mumbai (BOM) gave me the opportunity to try Premium Economy onboard a Vistara Airbus A320neo.
Vistara, the joint venture of Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, is currently the only Indian airline to offer a Premium Economy cabin on domestic flights, although the seats are configured 3-3 (as also found in Economy).
Vistara differentiates the product from coaches by introducing 33-inch Premium Economy seats – four inches more than the rear – and offering a 4-inch seat recline and plus seat.
The 24-seat dedicated premium economy cabin is located right behind Business Class, which has eight large berths in a 2-2 arrangement – similar to those found in US First Class. (Vistara also operates a cluster of all-economy A320s.)
Apart from the extra legroom and seats in front of the cabin, Premium Economy tickets include one checked bag, which can weigh between 20 and 30kg depending on the ticket type, and 10kg of carry-on baggage.
Additionally, a dedicated check-in lane and priority baggage handling add to the value proposition. All service classes include meals on board.
On the day of travel, Delhi Airport looked festive celebrating the Holi spring festival of colors.
Boarding for our 10.20am departure was handled efficiently. Interestingly, all ground staff in Delhi wore Air India and Vistara badges as they are part of a ground operator shared by both airlines. With a merger in progress Between the two airlines, this felt like a portent for the future.
The well-oiled boarding process from Delhi’s spacious and light departure area meant that our A320neo backed out of the gate five minutes earlier. And we went to Mumbai.
Vistara’s premium economy seats are upholstered in dark purple and brown leather and feature winged headrests. It’s evident that the airline has invested a great deal of time, effort and money into its branding, from the aesthetics of the plane’s interiors to the music that greeted passengers as they boarded.
It was easy to get into a comfortable position. However, passengers in the first row of Premium Economy face a class divider between Business and Premium Economy. The tray table is integrated into the armrest, which somewhat limits the seat width.
The bi-folding table in this range is small, barely big enough for a meal service or a smaller laptop. However, given that business travel in India usually takes place on early morning flights, it was gratifying to see full cabins in the front of the plane. Demand in the Indian aviation market is certainly strong as passenger numbers hit new records in 2023.
I couldn’t find the USB power connector on my Premium Economy seat in the first row.
While the Airbus A321 and the airline Boeing 787 Aircraft are equipped with built-in entertainment screens, Vistara offers wireless IFE on his A320. A universal socket would be desirable Passengers like me who might want to stream the selection of movies and TV shows on a laptop. There is no internet access on board.
Trolley service started quickly on our 105 minute flight. With only 24 seats in our cabin, a single flight attendant was responsible for serving Premium Economy passengers. Vistara offers meals to all passengers, which is the pleasant perk of flying on a full-service airline.
Flights are classified as having breakfast, lunch or dinner service. Our departure at 10.20am meant we were served a breakfast of tea, coffee and soft drinks.
Hot beverages aboard Vistara are co-branded with Starbucks. This is an obvious extension of Tata’s ownership. Starbucks India operations are a joint venture between the Seattle-based chain and the Tata Group, which has a long history in the tea and coffee industry in India.
As the service was executed quickly, we had time to refill our drinks.
On the fleet side of the upcoming merger between Air India and Vistara, a big bonus is the commonality between their fleets. Both airlines operate aircraft from the A320 family and the Boeing 787.
Coincidentally, both airlines chose CFM LE` engines for their Airbus aircraft and GEnx engines for their 787, engine families that have proven to be reliable.
Common aircraft and engine types will definitely help the two airlines merge their operations.
All in all, despite some quirks, Vistara’s DEL-BOM service has made it clear why the airline has garnered a fan base and solid reputation for excellence with its three-class A320neo narrowbody aircraft.
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All images are attributed to the author Karun Mukhi
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