Air India Revises Cabin Baggage Allowance Policy For Lower Fare Categories

Effective May 2, passengers opting for the Comfort category will be allowed to carry 15 kg free cabin baggage, while those flying in Comfort Plus segment will be entitled to carry 25 kg free baggage

Air India announced a revision in its cabin baggage allowance policy for select categories on its domestic flights. The loss-making national airline on Saturday introduced a new baggage policy for its lowest economy fare segment and reduced the free cabin baggage allowance from 20 kg to 15 kg for the domestic flights. 

The carrier has been making revisions as part of the menu-based pricing model fare families introduced by it in August last year. The new model was launched citing that the one-size-fits-all approach wasn’t a practical solution anymore, reported Financial Express.

A spokesperson of the airline said that the carrier provides three categories namely, Comfort, Comfort Plus, and Flex, with separate benefits and fare restrictions to the customers. The changes in the free cabin baggage allowance policy are being implemented for the Comfort and Comfort Plus categories.

Effective May 2, 2024, passengers opting for the Comfort category will be allowed to carry 15 kg free cabin baggage, while those flying in the Comfort Plus segment will be entitled to carry 25 kg free baggage.

Before these revisions, all passengers opting for Air India flights could carry up to 25 kg of cabin baggage free of any charges. “On domestic routes in Economy Class, both ‘Comfort’ and ‘Comfort Plus’ fare families now provide 15 kg baggage allowance, while ‘Flex’ provides 25 kg allowance….The Business Class baggage allowance on domestic routes ranges from 25 kg to 35 kg. The free baggage allowance on international flights varies from market to market,” the spokesperson noted.

Typically, other carriers allow domestic passengers to carry up to 15 kg of cabin baggage without paying any extra fee. The spokesperson stated that the airline plans to cater to the diverse needs of the travellers and the fare families allow customers to select fares and services as per their requirements. 

The Flex category of the airline allows passengers to opt for extra facilities such as 10 kg extra cabin baggage allowance, and zero alteration or cancellation fees, among others. The difference in fare of this category against the lower ones starts from approximately Rs 1,000 and upwards.

Notably, the Tata Group has been trying to revive the Air India airline and convert the loss-making entity into a profitable carrier.