Air India After the Vistara Merger: What Changed for Flyers

Air India completed its merger with Vistara in late 2024. Here is what changed for passengers: loyalty programme, cabin classes, baggage rules, routes, frequent flyer points and the new Air India product.

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Air India after the Vistara merger — what actually changed for Indian flyers

By Aarav Sharma (Aarav Sharma covers Indian airline operations, airport infrastructure and route economics. He writes about Tier-1 and Tier-2 airport developments, IndiGo and Air India fleet strategy, and the unsung Indian aviation hubs travellers should know about.) · Published · 14 min read

Vistara ceased operations in November 2024 and merged fully into Air India. Vistara's Club Vistara points were converted to Air India's Flying Returns miles. Business class and premium economy cabins were preserved on most routes, and the combined airline now operates one of India's largest international networks. Here is what that means for you as a flyer.

TL;DR — the Air India–Vistara merger at a glance

Vistara (a Tata–Singapore Airlines joint venture) merged with Air India in November 2024. The merged entity operates as Air India. Key outcomes: Club Vistara points were converted to Flying Returns miles (at a defined ratio), Vistara's premium product (Business Class and Premium Economy on wide-bodies) was absorbed into Air India's fleet, and Singapore Airlines (SIA) acquired a stake in the new Air India. The combined airline is now one of India's two major full-service carriers alongside IndiGo (which is primarily low-cost).

What happened to Club Vistara points after the merger?

This was the top concern for Vistara's loyal passengers. Here is how the conversion worked:

If you were a Club Vistara member, check your Flying Returns account balance. If the balance looks incorrect or the migration did not go through, Air India's customer care has a dedicated migration query process.

For practical context: a Club Vistara Platinum member who had accumulated, say, 1,00,000 CV points would have had those migrated as Flying Returns miles. Flying Returns miles can be redeemed for flights on Air India and its partner airlines, upgrades, and ancillary services. The redemption value per mile differs between the two programmes — do your own calculation based on the flights you want to redeem, as the value of a mile in Flying Returns may be higher or lower than what you were used to in Club Vistara depending on the specific reward.

Fees and features change — verify on the Air India Flying Returns site for the most current programme terms.

Did Vistara's Business Class and Premium Economy survive the merger?

Yes — this was a major concern for premium travellers, and Air India largely preserved it. Vistara operated wide-body Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Airbus A330s on longer domestic routes (Delhi–Mumbai, Delhi–Bengaluru) and on international routes. These aircraft came with proper Business Class lie-flat seats and a dedicated Premium Economy cabin. After the merger:

The short answer: if you loved flying Vistara Business Class on the Delhi–Mumbai or Delhi–Bengaluru wide-body service, that product largely still exists — now under the Air India flight code.

A nuance worth knowing: not every Air India domestic flight uses a wide-body aircraft with lie-flat Business Class. Many domestic Air India flights use Airbus A320/A321 narrow-bodies, where Business Class is simply a blocked middle seat with a slightly wider seat and better service — not lie-flat. If premium comfort on a domestic sector is your priority, specifically search for Air India flights operated by 787 or A330 (identifiable by looking at the aircraft type on the booking page). The Delhi–Mumbai and Delhi–Bengaluru routes that Vistara served with 787s typically continue to be operated with wide-body jets at peak times.

How did the route network change after the Vistara merger?

The combined Air India network is significantly larger:

For international travellers, one practical outcome is that Vistara's Heathrow (LHR) and Charles de Gaulle (CDG) routes now run under Air India flight numbers — the aircraft, slots and cabin product are largely unchanged, but the booking process is through Air India's systems. Passengers who had Vistara bookings for future travel had those reissued automatically as Air India tickets. Vistara's strong on-time performance on the India–UK route is now one of the benchmarks Air India is trying to maintain as the merged entity settles in.

What changed for baggage and check-in rules on merged Air India?

Air India's baggage rules after the merger apply uniformly across the fleet:

If you have a legacy Vistara booking (made before the merger and still operating as an Air India flight post-merger), your baggage entitlement as per your original Vistara fare continues to apply — check the reissued e-ticket for details.

One area where Air India's post-merger baggage policy is genuinely better than the old Air India: the airline has stopped some of its historical inconsistency in enforcing cabin baggage weight limits. Vistara had a stricter enforcement culture, and that has influenced merged Air India's check-in counters. That said, enforcement varies by airport — Delhi (DEL) and Mumbai (BOM) counters tend to be stricter than smaller airports. See our guide on Air India Express baggage rules for the low-cost arm of the Air India group.

How did the merger affect fares — is Air India more expensive now?

One concern among frequent flyers was that the merger would reduce competition and push up fares. The reality in 2026 is mixed:

For budget travellers, the merged Air India is not the cheapest option on any route it serves — IndiGo, Akasa and Air India Express all undercut it on base fares. Air India's value proposition post-merger is its premium cabins, SIA partnership for global connectivity, and a broadly improved service experience relative to its former government-owned self.

Is Air India better after the Vistara merger — for ordinary flyers?

The Tata group's takeover of Air India in 2022 and subsequent Vistara merger have resulted in some genuine improvements:

The merger has created a full-service competitor to IndiGo that offers Business Class, Premium Economy, and a proper international network — which Vistara alone could not sustain at scale. See how IndiGo compares with Akasa on the low-cost end, and check Akasa's expanding route map for context on how the competitive landscape is shifting.

Bottom line

The Air India–Vistara merger has created a stronger full-service Indian carrier. Club Vistara points were converted (not lost), premium cabins were preserved, and the combined international network is the best-connected from India today. For travellers who valued Vistara's service culture, the good news is that Tata's Air India is genuinely better than the old government Air India — though full parity with Vistara's premium experience is still a work in progress. Programme terms, routes and cabin products change — verify on Air India's official site before booking.

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Frequently asked questions

What happened to my Club Vistara points after the merger?

Club Vistara points were converted to Air India Flying Returns miles at a ratio of approximately 1 CV point = 1 Flying Returns mile. Check your Flying Returns account to confirm the balance was transferred correctly. Tier status was also migrated with a grace period.

Does Vistara still operate flights?

No. Vistara ceased all flight operations in November 2024 and merged fully into Air India. If you had a booking on a Vistara flight, it would have been reissued on an Air India flight number.

Is Air India Business Class better after the Vistara merger?

The merged Air India absorbed Vistara's premium fleet (Boeing 787, A330) and its product. Long-haul Business Class on retrofitted aircraft features competitive lie-flat seats. On domestic routes, Business Class is more of a blocked-middle-seat arrangement on narrow-body aircraft.

Does Air India still code-share with Singapore Airlines post-merger?

Yes. Singapore Airlines acquired a stake in the merged Air India entity as part of the deal. A code-share and interline agreement between Air India and SIA continues, allowing connecting travel and earning of Flying Returns miles on SIA-operated flights.

Is the merged Air India punctual?

Air India's on-time performance has improved since the Tata takeover but still lags IndiGo and Akasa on many domestic routes. International OTP is mixed and depends heavily on the route. Check DGCA monthly OTP reports for the latest data.

Did the Air India–Vistara merger push up flight fares in India?

Not significantly. On domestic routes, IndiGo's market dominance keeps fares competitive. On international routes, Middle Eastern carriers and European airlines continue to compete aggressively. Air India targets the premium and corporate segment; budget travellers still have cheaper options via IndiGo, Akasa and Air India Express.