iXigo vs MakeMyTrip: Who Hides More Fees at Checkout?

We tested the checkout flows of iXigo and MakeMyTrip on the same flights and dates.

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iXigo vs MakeMyTrip 2026: who adds more hidden fees between the search result and the actual payment screen?

By Arjun Kapoor (Arjun Kapoor tracks error fares, mileage runs and award-chart sweet spots for Indian travellers. He moderates two Telegram fare-alert channels and has booked Europe round-trips at sub-₹25,000 four times in the last 24 months.) · Published · 10 min read

Both iXigo and MakeMyTrip advertise attractive base fares in search results that do not survive contact with the checkout screen. The question is which adds more friction — and the answer is complicated enough that I ran a methodical comparison across several routes and saved the screenshots.

TL;DR — the short answer

Both OTAs add meaningful fees between the advertised base fare and the final price — MakeMyTrip's convenience fee tends to be more visible and explicitly listed, while iXigo has a habit of adding a percentage-based 'processing' or 'Trip Money' charge that can be harder to spot in the flow. In my testing on domestic routes, MakeMyTrip added around ₹300–₹600 per booking in convenience fees on top of base fares, while iXigo's total checkout inflation was often 15–20% over the search-result price — partly in fees, partly in aggressive travel insurance pre-ticking. Neither is reliably cheaper than booking directly on the airline site, particularly for simple one-way domestic bookings. For comparison across sources, start with FlightGPT which shows all-in prices and then go to the airline site for straightforward bookings.

The methodology: how I ran the comparison

I picked three routes on a weekday in a month with no major holidays: Delhi–Mumbai (the highest-volume domestic route in India), Bengaluru–Hyderabad (a short-hop route where fees dominate the total), and Mumbai–Kolkata. For each route, I ran searches on the same day at roughly the same time, using fresh browser sessions (incognito, cleared cookies) on both platforms and the airline's own site.

I noted:

I also separately noted what the same flight cost directly on IndiGo.com and airindia.in. I did not complete actual purchases — the comparison was at the final-price stage before payment. A note on limitations: OTA pricing and fees change frequently, and what I found on these specific dates may not be exactly what you see on a different day or different device. These are patterns, not a permanent scorecard.

MakeMyTrip: how the convenience fee actually shows up

MakeMyTrip's convenience fee is applied per passenger per sector and is shown on the payment screen — not always as prominently as you'd like, but it is disclosed before you pay. On the routes I tested, it ran in the range of roughly ₹249–₹499 per booking for domestic one-ways in 2026 (this varies; MMT adjusts it regularly). On popular payment methods (certain HDFC cards, PhonePe Wallet for MMT) the convenience fee is sometimes waived or reduced — there is always a banner about this at checkout.

Where MakeMyTrip is genuinely useful: it tends to be aggressive about bank partnership cashbacks. On bookings paid with specific bank cards or wallets, you can get back ₹300–₹600 in cashback that partly or fully offsets the convenience fee. These offers cycle monthly and are tied to specific payment methods — check MMT's 'Offers' page before booking to see what is currently live.

Where it frustrates: the seat-selection and travel-insurance add-ons are pre-ticked at checkout, and the seat fee is shown on a separate screen that not all users scroll past before clicking 'Continue'. The insurance is more clearly labeled as optional but the default is checked. Methodically untick both if you do not want them — the saving is real.

iXigo: the Trip Money mystery surcharge

iXigo has a more opaque fee structure in my experience. The search results show a 'from ₹X' price that includes neither the convenience fee nor the processing markup. When you reach the payment screen, the total is typically 15–20% higher than the search result headline on the routes I tested — which is a larger inflation than MakeMyTrip's flat fee on short-haul routes.

Part of this is iXigo's 'Trip Money' ecosystem — iXigo pushes its prepaid wallet product heavily in the checkout flow, with offers that create the impression of savings while nudging you into loading Trip Money. Whether this is genuinely beneficial depends on whether you use iXigo regularly enough to have Trip Money balance. For occasional users, it is confusing rather than helpful.

iXigo also pre-ticks travel insurance and sometimes seat suggestions in the passenger-details page. I found the 'uncheck' UX slightly harder on iXigo than on MakeMyTrip — the insurance opt-out is present but requires a deliberate click that is not as immediately visible. This may be intentional or just a UX oversight, but the practical effect is that inattentive users end up with insurance they did not actively choose.

That said, iXigo does have a real advantage: its bus and train integration is genuinely useful for Tier-2 city travellers, and its fare calendar is faster than MakeMyTrip's for flexible-date searches. For one-stop multi-modal trip planning, iXigo has the edge.

How both compare to booking directly with the airline

For a simple one-way domestic booking where you do not need extra flexibility or add-ons, the airline's direct site is consistently close to or slightly cheaper than either OTA on an all-in basis. IndiGo.com charges a convenience fee per transaction but it is clearly disclosed, and IndiGo's own app has periodic zero-convenience-fee offers that neither MakeMyTrip nor iXigo can replicate. Air India's site also tends to be competitive, particularly for its own fares.

Where OTAs add genuine value:

My workflow: run the initial search on FlightGPT to find the best available fare across sources. Once I know which carrier and date has the best price, I open that airline's direct site and complete the booking there. I only go to an OTA for the final purchase if the OTA has a current bank offer that makes the math work out better.

The verdict: which adds more fees?

On short domestic routes (under ₹4,000 base fare), iXigo's percentage-based checkout inflation hits harder as a proportion of the base fare — you might go from a ₹2,800 search result to a ₹3,300 checkout total, a jump of nearly 18%. MakeMyTrip's flat convenience fee of ₹350–₹500 is a smaller proportion of the same fare.

On medium-to-higher-priced domestic and international routes, MakeMyTrip's flat fee is a smaller proportion and the two OTAs become more comparable. On international routes where bank cashbacks are large, MakeMyTrip can occasionally come out cheaper than both iXigo and the airline direct site — but you need to be on the right payment method.

Neither OTA is categorically cheaper. The right answer is: run the all-in comparison including airline direct before committing. It takes an extra two minutes and often saves a few hundred rupees.

Also useful reading: our article on whether the VPN fare trick actually saves money and whether Cleartrip's Freedom Fare refund add-on is worth paying for.

Bottom line

Both iXigo and MakeMyTrip have a gap between advertised fare and final checkout price — that is the nature of OTA business models that compete on headline fare while recovering margin in fees and upsells. iXigo's percentage-style markup is harder to spot on cheap domestic routes; MakeMyTrip's flat fee is more visible but can be offset by bank cashbacks. For the cleanest booking experience, compare on FlightGPT to find the right fare, then book on the airline's own site. Use an OTA only when a current offer specifically makes it cheaper all-in.

Frequently asked questions

Is iXigo or MakeMyTrip cheaper for IndiGo domestic flights?

It depends on the route and whether either has a live bank or wallet offer. On routes with a base fare under ₹4,000, MakeMyTrip's flat convenience fee (around ₹300–₹500 per booking) is often less painful than iXigo's percentage-based checkout inflation. On pricier routes or when MakeMyTrip has an active HDFC or SBI card cashback, MakeMyTrip can be cheaper. Always check IndiGo.com directly too — the airline's own site sometimes has zero-convenience-fee promotions via the app.

What is the MakeMyTrip convenience fee in 2026?

MakeMyTrip's convenience fee on domestic flights varies by booking and payment method — commonly in the range of ₹249–₹499 per transaction as of 2026, though it changes. It is shown explicitly on the payment screen. Certain payment methods (specific bank cards, PhonePe wallet for MMT transactions) sometimes have the fee waived or reduced. Check the current offers on MMT's homepage before booking.

What is iXigo Trip Money and do I need it?

Trip Money is iXigo's prepaid wallet product that can be loaded with cash or earned through bookings. It is optional — you do not need to use it to book flights on iXigo. The wallet is pushed during checkout via offers that can look like mandatory steps if you are not reading carefully. You can complete any booking with a standard debit card, credit card or UPI payment without loading Trip Money.

Do both iXigo and MakeMyTrip pre-tick travel insurance at checkout?

Yes, both OTAs default to adding travel insurance to your booking during the checkout flow. The charge varies but is typically in the range of ₹50–₹300 per passenger per booking depending on the route and insurer. You can and should deselect it if you already have travel insurance coverage (via a credit card, a standalone policy, or the Freedom Fare type add-ons on other OTAs). Look for the insurance checkbox before reaching the payment screen.

Is booking directly on IndiGo.com or Air India's site always cheaper?

Not always, but more often than not for simple domestic bookings without add-ons. The airline's own site charges its own convenience fee (IndiGo charges per transaction; Air India typically does not charge a separate booking fee on its own site) but avoids the OTA margin. The real exception is when an OTA has a meaningful bank cashback offer — in that case, the net cost after cashback can beat the airline's direct price. Always check the all-in total on both before paying.

Which OTA is better for international flight bookings from India?

For international bookings, the OTA comparison becomes more nuanced. MakeMyTrip tends to have stronger bank card offers for international routes; iXigo is catching up. For multi-carrier international comparisons, using a metasearch like <a href='/'>FlightGPT</a> or Google Flights first to identify the best itinerary, then pricing it on MakeMyTrip (with bank offer), Kiwi.com and the airline direct site is the most reliable approach. Never commit to just one OTA on an international booking without spot-checking alternatives.