According to Air India, the revised charges are applicable on all flights operated by it, except those of its regional arm, Alliance Air, while adding “It has been decided to revise the excess baggage rate in the domestic sector to Rs 500 per kg per coupon on all travels commencing on or after June 11 from Rs 400 per kg.”
This move will definitely not be welcomed by airline travellers, but to put its house in order financially state-run Air India has revised the excess baggage charges by Rs 100 per kg to Rs 500 for domestic travels from June 11. So far, it has been charging Rs 400 per kg for excess baggage. India India, which has been struggling under massive debt is trying to earn some revenue and it has done so by passing on the burden to the passengers.
According to Air India, the revised charges are applicable on all flights operated by it, except those of its regional arm, Alliance Air, while adding “It has been decided to revise the excess baggage rate in the domestic sector to Rs 500 per kg per coupon on all travels commencing on or after June 11 from Rs 400 per kg.”
The airline circular further clarified that these charges would also attract a 5 per cent GST on baggage for economy class travel and 12 per cent for others.
Passengers travelling to or from airports across Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Tripura, Assam, Manipur, Meghalya, Nagaland, Sikkim, besides the Bagdogra airport in West Bengal, will however be spared from paying the GST, the circular stated.
Although Air India has given rebate to travelers on regional routes, but on the whole this move is likely to hit at its finances when other private airlines are wooing hard through offers and rebates in the travel season.
Full-service airline Vistara recently slashed its fares by up to 75 per cent in a limited period offer. The offer came a day after budget carrier GoAir had announced a special monsoon sale, offering customers fares as low as Rs 1,299 for domestic travel.
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Another airline GoAir also brought good news for flyers who wish to travel between June 24 and September 30. GoAir’s Monsoon On-The-Go Sale offer to Fly Smart is for favourite destinations at a much cheaper price. The special fares starts at as low as Rs 1,299.
Last week, the airline has reportedly sought restoration of the equity infusion by the government in the carrier, sitting on a debt pile of around Rs 50,000 crore. Although the loss-making carrier has already received more than Rs 26,000 crore under the bailout package announced by the former UPA government in April 2012, the fund is reportedly not enough to sail it out.
On the similar lines, Indian Railways too is trying to tighten noose around those who travel with excess baggage. In the recent crackdown, it said that passengers caught with excess baggage will be penalised. It also said that all excess baggage would need to be booked into the luggage van.<script async src=”//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js”></script>
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