A significant concern among frequent Vistara travelers following the announcement of the airline’s merger with Air India has been the fate of its popular loyalty program Club Vistara. The airline has a loyal passenger base who have been assured that, for now, nothing will change.
Club Vistara members receive an update
A few days back, Vistara sent an email to all the members of its loyalty program, Club Vistara, about their membership status as the airline heads towards a merger with Air India.
The carrier said that nothing will change as of now, and members can continue to enjoy the benefits of the program. It also mentioned that any changes made to the program would eventually be communicated. Here’s what the airline mailed its Club Vistara members:
"We are cognizant of the fact that the news of integration would have raised questions in your mind regarding your Club Vistara membership. We would like to assure you that all the benefits and privileges associated with your CV Points, tiers, vouchers, etc. will remain unchanged as per the current program construct. Please be assured that your interest will always remain most important to us regardless of our corporate structure. We deeply value our relationship and will keep you informed of any significant changes to our program or its features."
New program?
Vistara’s loyalty program is very popular among Indian flyers, many of whom have been concerned about its fate following the merger. While the carrier said there will be no short-term changes, the merged airline will likely have a newly revamped loyalty program.
Air India has its own frequent flyer program called Flying Returns, allowing passengers to accumulate points when flying Air India and 25 Star Airline partners on eligible fare paying tickets.
How the two programs will work following the merger remains to be seen, but it's likely that until a revamped loyalty program is created for the merged airline, both Vistara and Air India members will be able to use their points.
Businessline had reported earlier that Air India’s CEO Campbell Wilson feels that there’s huge potential in renewing a program that wasn’t “doing justice.” Sources have also revealed that Air India could rebrand a completely new loyalty program that will also integrate miles collected by Club Vistara members.
Check out more Indian aviation news here
Business as usual
Even as the merger processes are underway, for Vistara, it is business as usual for now. The airline has added several new routes recently, including its second London Heathrow route from Mumbai.
Vistara also received its fourth Boeing 787 Dreamliner and wasted no time putting it in commercial service between Delhi and Bengaluru and finally on flights to Europe.
Are you a Club Vistara member? How do you see the program evolving following Vistara’s merger with Air India? Please leave your comments below.
With inputs from Businessline