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British Airways and IndiGo forge partnership to enhance UK-India business travel connectivity

In a significant move to enhance travel options and connectivity between the United Kingdom and India, British Airways and IndiGo, India’s leading airline, have entered into a strategic codeshare agreement.

The partnership promises to provide UK-based business travellers with improved access to a variety of destinations in Southeast Asia and Europe, starting from 12th October 2023.

Through this collaboration, British Airways will incorporate its flight code on several routes within the extensive IndiGo network.

Codeshare agreement: British Airways and IndiGo cabin crew

This development translates into enhanced convenience and connectivity options for travellers transiting through London Heathrow Airport and looking to explore a range of destinations in India.

This partnership introduces three previously unavailable destinations for British Airways customers, further expanding their horizons.

The newly accessible destinations via codeshare from London Heathrow Airport include:

  1. London Heathrow to Amritsar via New Delhi
  2. London Heathrow to Kochi via Mumbai
  3. London Heathrow to Ahmedabad via Mumbai
  4. London Heathrow to Goa via Mumbai
  5. London Heathrow to Thiruvananthapuram via Mumbai (new)
  6. London Heathrow to Kolkata via Mumbai
  7. London Heathrow to Rajkot (Hirasar) via Mumbai (new)
  8. London Heathrow to Vadodara via Mumbai (new)

Travellers can now conveniently book their entire journey, including connecting flights, on a single ticket, making for a hassle-free travel experience.

IndiGo, known for its extensive domestic and regional network, operates a fleet of A320 aircraft. British Airways customers travelling onwards with IndiGo will enjoy added perks, including a complimentary meal and the UK carrier’s generous baggage allowance in economy class. This includes two checked bags of up to 23 kilos per person.

Neil Chernoff, British Airways’ Director of Network and Alliances, expressed his enthusiasm for this partnership, emphasising the long-standing relationship between British Airways and India. He stated,

Our partnership with IndiGo means that customers will be able to book their entire journey on one ticket, allowing seamless travel all the way from London to their final destination, offering more choice and flexibility for customers.

Abhijit Dasgupta, Senior Vice President, Network Planning and Revenue Management at IndiGo, said,

We are excited to announce our codeshare agreement with British Airways.

This partnership expands the choices available to British Airways customers for journeys to and from London Heathrow, using IndiGo’s extensive network in India.

This step to provide seamless connectivity will not only support trade and commerce between the two countries but also offer convenient travel options to students and tourists. With burgeoning demand for international travel, we will continue to enhance international connectivity and remain committed to our promise of providing on-time, affordable, courteous, and hassle-free travel experiences to our customers.

British Airways’ commitment to India is evident in the fact that the airline now operates 56 flights per week to five key Indian gateways: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad.

Passengers travelling between Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore have the opportunity to experience the airline’s newly designed Club Suite in the business class cabin. This innovative cabin design offers direct-aisle access, suite doors for enhanced privacy, and luxurious flat-bed seats in a 1-2-1 configuration.

Additionally, British Airways is rolling out its first new uniform in twenty years, which will be worn by cabin crew, pilots, and check-in agents, providing a fresh and modern look to its passengers.

The British Airways and IndiGo codeshare agreement is set to transform the travel landscape for UK-based business travellers, offering increased connectivity and a seamless travel experience to a wide range of exciting destinations in India and beyond.

With British Airways’ continued commitment to the Indian market, the future looks promising for travellers seeking convenience, comfort, and choice on their journeys between the UK and India.

Air France-KLM and IndiGo codeshare takes off

Air France-KLM and IndiGo, India’s leading carrier, have implemented the extensive codeshare agreement announced in December 2021.

IndiGo: Air France and KLM customers now have access to 30 destinations in India

With this partnership, Air France and KLM will ultimately offer their customers access to 30 new Indian destinations and a large number of round-trip combinations for both business and leisure purposes.

Customers will be able to fly to the destination of their choice with one single booking. Flying Blue members will also be able to earn miles on all routes covered by this agreement.

On departure from their respective hubs in Paris and Amsterdam, Air France and KLM already serve four destinations in India: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru.

On departure from the multiple points in India, Air France and KLM will open up their global network of over 300 destinations to IndiGo customers, with more than 120 destinations in Europe and about 50 in the Americas.

Henri de Peyrelongue, EVP Commercial Sales Air France-KLM said:

We are very proud at Air France-KLM to be the first major European airline group to initiate cooperation with IndiGo. This codeshare agreement will allow us to increase our local footprint and to improve connectivity between India – one of the fastest growing markets – and the rest of the world, via our Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol hubs. For our customers this means an enhanced network with as many as 30 new destinations in India, as well as increased roundtrip possibilities for both business and leisure travel.

Sanjay Kumar, Chief Strategy & Revenue Officer, IndiGo said,

We are pleased to commence the partnership with one of the strongest European airline groups, Air France-KLM. This codeshare is in line with our mission to provide air connectivity and affordable fares across India and to international destinations. As this summer sees a huge interest in international travel after a hiatus of two years, the codeshare will extend our on-time, affordable, courteous and hassle-free travel experience across 30 incredible Indian destinations to Air France-KLM customers.

Codeshare flights are now available to book through Global Travel Management.