Key Points
- Qantas adds eight more Indian cities under codeshare agreement with IndiGo.
- Customers flying on Qantas-IndiGo connecting flights will be allowed to carry same baggage allowance.
- Connecting flights are convenient and easy on pocket, say travel agents.
The second phase of the code share agreement between Qantas and IndiGo will allow customers seamless connections from Qantas flights landing in New Delhi and Bengaluru to an additional eight Indian cities.
This takes the number of Indian destinations available for connection to 21, broadening access for customers travelling throughout India.
Qantas currently operates four return flights from Melbourne to Delhi and four from Sydney to Bengaluru weekly.
The customers flying on the Qantas-IndiGo connecting flights will be allowed to carry the same baggage allowance as their flight from Australia.
They will also receive the same complimentary food and drinks on board.
The arrangement will also give travellers a more extensive choice across IndiGo’s domestic network, with more than 250 new flights available for booking.
Passengers on Qantas-IndiGo connecting flights to receive the same complimentary food and drinks on board. Credit: Qantas
“The new codeshare flights will allow our customers to enjoy more connections across India from our Delhi and Bengaluru gateways and have their luggage checked straight through to their final destination,” he said in a press release.
Here are the new codeshare destinations:
- Guwahati
- Indore
- Chandigarh
- Mangalore
- Jaipur
- Nagpur
- Thiruvananthapuram
- Visakhapatnam
The national carrier launched the first phase of its codeshare agreement with IndiGo in August last year, opening transit routes to eleven Indian cities besides Delhi and Bengaluru.
The existing list of destinations includes Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Chennai, Goa, Mumbai, Kochi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Patna and Pune.
Sandip Hor, Chairman, Australia India Travel & Tourism Council (AITTC)
“The additional destinations will give the Indian diaspora and the Australians planning a trip to India a more flexible choice to travel to different parts of the country.
“Through a codeshare agreement with IndiGo, India’s largest domestic carrier, Qantas is trying to increase its presence in India. So I think with time, more destinations will be added to the existing list,” Mr Hor told SBS Punjabi.
Qantas frequent flyers travelling on connecting IndiGo flights (with the QF code) will also be able to collect and redeem flights, including availing services like priority check-in and priority baggage.
“Our frequent flyers, in particular, benefit from booking these flights, with more opportunities to earn points and status credits,” Mr Svensson said.
The travel and tourism industry welcomes expansion under the Qantas-IndiGo codeshare agreement. Source: Twitter / IndiGo
“If you book a domestic flight separately, it burns a hole in your pocket. But if it is part of a connecting flight from Australia, as is the case under the codeshare deal, the price of the ticket comes out to be cheaper,” she told SBS Punjabi.
Ms Goel, however, added that the facility comes with a few caveats.
“Firstly, IndiGo is a domestic carrier, and it isn’t easy for them to provide the same standard of service as an international carrier like Qantas, so they will have to up their game.
“Secondly, flyers travelling to destinations with no immigration desks will have to get their immigration done in Delhi or Bengaluru before flying out to their ultimate destinations. Also, they will have to change to the domestic terminal from Delhi to board an IndiGo flight,” she said.
Picture was taken at the launch of the Sydney-Bengaluru flight in September 2022. Credit: Qantas
“There are always two sides to a coin. But, overall, it’s a significant announcement and has made travel easier for Indian Australian families and anyone travelling to India. The cost of the tickets too isn’t exorbitant, and travellers get to carry 15 kgs extra on domestic flights.
“They just need to be wary of delays and cancellations as is the case with many domestic flights in India,” he added.
