SpiceJet Offers Special Discount for Hand Luggage

Tuesday, 28th April 2015 at 14:01pm

With most airlines in the world charging extra for every additional piece of baggage the passengers bring in the plane with them; it was only a matter of time when Indian carriers would do the same. Of course, this usually means good things for those who like to travel light and carry only one bag with them.

SpiceJet just became the first Indian carrier to offer a special discount to travelers who bring only one piece of luggage into the aircraft with them. Every passenger who does so is entitled to an all-inclusive ticket for just Rs 999, and that's for all domestic SpiceJet flights. For every additional luggage checked in under this scheme, the customer will have to pay an extra Rs 750.

SpiceJet has been given permission by the DGCA to launch the 'Travel Light, Save More' fare scheme, which will be available for bookings between now and 29 April for 1.5 lakh (lakh=100,000) seats.

AirAsia India Previously Denied a Similar Scheme

SpiceJet wasn't the first airline in India to come up with this idea. Before them, the low-cost airline AirAsia asked the DGCA permission to charge for every individual check-in luggage, but was denied. At the time, a senior DGCA official explained they are only letting partial unbundling of services and that AirAsia cannot charge extra for individual pieces of checked in baggage.

With the rival carrier SpiceJet now gaining permission for the same thing, a senior official for AirAsia said that the new chief of DGCA M Sathiyawathy has relaxed unbundling of services, but it's not clear whether the latest DGCA circular means all carriers are free to charge for individual pieces of checked in luggage.

One way to look at the SpiceJet's offer is as a well-timed move to counter AirAsia's plans to launch services from Delhi to Goa, Guwahati and Bengaluru in May for low prices.

Now that DGCA has allowed unbundling of services, it is only a matter of time before other Indian low-cost airlines like GoAir and IndiGo introduce schemes of their own.

By: Pete Lee.