Bidding Goodbye!

They say time flies when you are having an excellent time, but today is about my lovely memories while flying.

Those who know me will testify that I am sentimental and loyal to a select brand. Incidentally, two of the four brands I advocate are from the House of Tata.

Vistara - TATA SIA Airlines Ltd. started operations in 2015, and I flew the airline within the first week of its operations, and it was “Love at First Flight.” In 2015, I stayed away from home, so traveling with Vistara was always about mixed emotions. I was either excited about going home or sad about returning, but in both situations, I drew a lot of comfort from the seamless, empathetic, and smiling service of Vistara.

While I have countless memories and stories of traveling with Vistara over the last 9 years, a few will always stay with me. In the year 2017, I was in Mumbai when I got the news of a dear friend passing away. I rushed to the airport, hoping to make it in time for his funeral. I did not have a booking at the airport, so I requested to be put on a relatively full flight. The airport reservation office could make out that I was distraught and immediately helped me. When I was given a printout of my ticket, a person from the Vistara ground team rushed me to the check-in counter as it was barely an hour for the flight. At the counter, the ground team quickly assisted me, gave me a water bottle, and ushered me for the security check. Once inside the aircraft, I realized that the ground team had deliberately not allocated the seat next to me, which allowed me much-valued privacy. When we were airborne, the cabin crew saw me tearing up and quietly left a pack of tissues. She was considerate and caring but not intrusive, and to date, my heart sends her blessings for being so authentic. Much later, when I replayed the whole interaction in my head, it was evident that it was in the very DNA of the brand. Everyone was collectively responsible for feeling collected in a chaotic situation, from ticketing to ground staff to cabin crew.

On another occasion, a distinguished gentleman at the airport caught my eye near the boarding gate. He politely talked to the ground staff and coached them on placing the signage for boarding sequencing. He looked rather familiar, and then I realized that he was a C-suite executive at the airline. His attention to detail and polite manners were a testimony to the ethos I admire.

Outside of the in-person interactions, I have continued to admire Vistara's bold market entry into the Indian aviation sector. Vistara came into existence with two very competitive airlines in the top spot. While Jet was ruling the market as a full-service carrier, Indigo Airlines was gathering momentum and popularity. But to Vistara's credit by the time Jet ceased operations in 2019, Vistara had already carved out a niche.

新加坡航空 a stellar partner for Vistara helped bring some of the best global best practices into Indian aviation. Vistara became the first airline to offer premium economy service in India. It also is the first Indian carrier to provide WI-FI on international flights. It introduced the flatbed for mid-haul flights. It was the first carrier in India to have its lounge on T3 in Delhi, which rendered the feeling of exclusivity for domestic travelers. It also experimented with the LCC model within a full-service flight through Vistara Lite. The Vistara co-branded card program is among the best partner programs across the board, and the benefits are real, not just on paper. The contact center experience of Vistara is comparable to that of the best in class globally. The Vistara customer login is designed for ease of use and keeps the customer experience at its heart. Unsurprisingly, the brand reached several 50 Million customers within 8 years of its operations.

But of course, it was not always hunky dory; in 2022 owing to the post-pandemic adjustment, the brand went through a lot of public flak for slipping standards. It escalated to a point where the CEO had to come forward with a public apology acknowledging the gaps.

The post-Vistara era makes Air India Limited the only full-service carrier in Indian aviation. For all the love of Tata Group , I hope this does not lead to complacency for the road ahead in the post-merger entity. Air India will take some time before a sense of balance is restored across key areas such as compensation, culture, and communication. It is heartening to know that Singapore Airlines will invest further in Air India, which is a very positive indicator of the global outlook for Air India.

But for today, I am nostalgic as the “Aubergine” bird takes its last flight. In less than a decade, Vistara demonstrated the “gold” standard of customer centricity. Vistara, the brand name, is derived from the Hindi word “Vistaar,” which means “a limitless expanse.” True to its name, the brand has been my constant in the last 9 years as I embarked on more than 10 solo trips across various parts of India.

I contemplated taking a flight today just to bid farewell, but the emotional me would not be able to keep it together; therefore, this is my ode to you ‘Dear Vistara.”

One of my favorite tracks to listen to while staring out from the window seat used to be “I Believe I Can Fly,” today, I dedicate this song to you!

#airvistara #airindia #aviation #customerservice #travel