Traveled Bengaluru- Dubai- Bengaluru last week(25-30 Jan’15). My ticket was booked 2 months ago just before the airline formally launched this route and my company got this ticket at an unbelievable price(almost half the price of an Emirates ticket).
Yes, one may argue that Indigo does not match the service and class of Emirates. Agreed, but Indigo is a budget airline. For a 3.5-4.00 hrs flight although a passenger would expect enough leg room, a blanket and a hot meal to say the least which are definitely missing, being a frequent flyer, I guess I did not miss all of these on the two flights 6E 95 & 96.
The Positives- Killer fare, Indigo’s ON TIME PERFORMANCE, clean brand new aircraft, excellent crew and pilots, clear announcements, good ground staff and baggage handling.
The Negatives- Indigo’s inflight menu needs a major surgery. The choice of food is awful and they give ready to eat Biryani and other stuff which wont fill up even a small corner of one’s stomach at that price. No South Indian food in their menu and the less said about their UPMA the better!
The biggest thing which really hurt me as an Indian is that strangely, INDIGO DOES NOT ACCEPT INDIAN CURRENCY FOR IN FLIGHT PURCHASES! It only accepts dollars and Dirhams- it CANT GET MORE ABSURD THAN THIS! We Indians don’t want to respect our own currency and we insult our motherland with pride!
I wonder what people from other nations will perceive if they realize this awkward monetary transaction system.
Leg rooms needs improvement & a blanket/ passenger wont cost Indigo a loss!
I must also commend the excellent service given by the check in Staff at Dubai Terminal 1(the lady staff of Indigo who hailed from India- not the locals). The lady who checked us in was so polite, understanding and accommodating that she has just forced us to choose Indigo only for our next trip to Dubai. Their baggage policy too is flexible and the lady really helped us with her true concern.
I wonder why I need to pay double fares for just a meal and perhaps a glass of liquor(which of course I do not consume) on other International airlines if I am flying to Dubai.
No doubt Emirates Airlines is excellent and world class(much better than European & US carriers like Lufthansa, Air France & BA), but they are exploiting India- Dubai- connecting routes with unscientific and exorbitant fares. The average India- Dubai traveler cannot afford these sky high fares and the Government must step in to cap high economy class fares of Emirates and Etihad in the name of Luxury travel. Lakhs of people travel in this route and common sense tells clearly that it wont cost so much to operate this route for any airline. No doubt both airlines are making a windfall gain from the Indian market!
I guess Indigo has stolen many hearts with this service. I hope they maintain this and also very soon launch their second daily flight to Dubai and many other countries like Singapore, Bangkok, Colombo, Kathmandu and KL.
PS- I am a frequent flyer with Indigo but this review is in NO WAY INFLUENCED OR SPONSORED BY INDIGO OR ANY PARTNER. All views are my personal ones and based on my travel experience with Indigo ever since it was launched in the Indian skies(have flown with Indigo more than 100 times till now)
All the best to Indigo! You are decking up the Indian skies with the colours of joy!