Air India’s limited offer for $999
SAN JOSE, CA: A week after India’s national carrier flew the country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to San Jose, Air India announced that it will launch nonstop flights between the Bay Area and New Delhi starting December 2. The thrice-weekly flights out of San Francisco International Airport will use Boeing 777 long-range aircraft.
The flight will offer a 3-cabin configuration, with 8 seats in First Class, 35 seats in Business Class and 195 seats in Economy Class, according to Air India officials in San Jose. Passengers can enjoy a wide choice of non-stop in-flight entertainment, extra legroom, flat beds in first and executive class and delicious cuisine, on this flight. The flight will operate westbound, following a polar route over Alaska.
The 7,692 miles route clocking 16 hours 5 minutes will be fully three-and-a-half hours less than the flying time any other airline (notably Emirates and other Gulf carriers) offer for their one-stop service on the route.
Air India currently operates daily non-stop flights from India to Chicago, New York and Newark.
The airline is offering a promotion to passengers who book first and business-class seats on the maiden flights. Tickets booked between Oct. 1 and Jan. 15 for travel through Jan. 31 will earn a free return executive-class ticket on Air India’s domestic network, which flies to dozens of destinations, including the tech capital of Bangalore (Bengaluru). Economy class introductory offer will be $999 (inclusive tax).
Given India’s deep connections with Silicon Valley and a substantial population of IT professionals and students from India, the non-stop flight will establish a premiere gateway to Asia and the Indian subcontinent thereby making travel easy and time saving.
With a morning departure at 10:00 hours (PST) from San Francisco, the flight will arrive in New Delhi at 15:35 hrs (IST). While the departure from New Delhi will be with an early morning flight at 2:45 hours (IST), the flight will arrive in San Francisco at 6:00 hrs (PST).
The option of a non-stop flight will be a boon for the large Indian Diaspora, the third-largest Asian group in California, students and parents to visit their families in India, whereas, business professionals looking for short stays will also benefit from this flight.
The service will also provide seamless connectivity to passengers from Silicon Valley to nine Indian cities, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Pune and Bhubaneswar some of which are IT hubs, too.
Air India passengers will now have the advantage of a smooth and seamless transition with easy connectivity, between domestic and international sectors, all from the same terminal in New Delhi and Mumbai, the airline said in a statement.
Air India now offers all Star Alliance customer benefits across its network and Air India’s customers enjoy the same benefits when they travel on any of the other 26 Star Alliance member airlines. Now, AI flyers from will be able to earn-and-burn miles on any member carrier, apart from enjoying seamless connectivity across the globe and having access to lounges at all airports.
About Air India
India’s national airline, Air India provides domestic and international air transport services to both passengers and cargo. Air India pioneered the country’s aviation sector and its history is synonymous with the history of civil aviation in India. Air India embodies the spirit of India by extending warm hospitality and the urge to satisfy its guests, an inherent characteristic of the country’s culture.
Since the first flight on October 15, 1932, Air India has grown to become a mega international airline connecting to 34 destinations in the USA, Europe, Australia, Far-East and South-East Asia and the Gulf. The airline’s domestic network covers 51 destinations, including all state capitals and far-flung areas of India’s North-East, Ladakh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The airline also provides ground handling and engineering & maintenance services, as well as low-cost travel options, through its subsidiaries. Air India’s young fleet of 103 aircraft comprises a mix of the latest state-of-the-art B787 Dreamliners (21 aircraft), B777s, B747s, Airbus A330s, A321s, A320s and A319s.
Constantly adapting and re-inventing itself to stay ahead of competition, Air India has been and will continue to be committed to providing superior service, supported by the latest technology, to flyers worldwide.
Vidya Sethuraman
India Post News Service
