Indigo - Quite good, could be a tad better!. Review on Indigo Airlines

I've traveled with this airlines on and off since 2006-07 in terms of domestic destinations. That's also the year, I started using domestic flights as a means of yearly domestic travel, once in a while. Incidentally, that's also when Indigo seem to have commenced their operations. So, it seems fitting that I write something about them.

SOME FACTS

Indigo Airlines are head-quartered in Gurgaon, India. Their aircrafts primarily use the A320 Airbus, with a narrow body with a single aisle and a couple of turbo-fan engines and a tricylce landing gear for support when not airborne. Quite nice standard credentials in that department. The aircrafts typically sport a blue and white colour. So, do their merchandise.

The female staff also sport pink or blue or both colored mascara on their eyelashes or similarly coloured glitter to go with their blue and white uniform as part of their presentation. They are proud of having a huge female strength in their overall staff, often sporting a "Girl Power" badge and also the highest percentage of female pilots as of 2019.

March 2016 onwards, they hold the largest market share in domestic travel, (around 36.8% in March 2016) having been founded by Rahul Bhatia of Interglobe Enterprises and Rakesh Gangwal in 2006. They are arguably one of the leaders in economy travel domestically, in India.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH THEM

1) My baggage check-in experience at the airport has always been quite prompt with good co-operation from them. In the very early years, when certain items to be carried were not in perfect order, they were flexible enough to allow other means to validate the same (E.g.: the booking itself).

Typically what is allowed is 15 kg check in baggage with an allowance of 8 kg cabin baggage with some tolerance. Your baggage would have the right stickers with unique IDs to enable effective identification. The handling of the baggage across airports is also pretty good.

2) The security check-in is thorough and no less prompt, hassle free and without much ado. The staff here has also been quite flexible with me on most occasions to get on with proceedings with the necessary checks.

3) Once you are waiting at the boarding gate, there are ample announcements to keep one abreast of what's up with the status of the flight, what the passengers are expected to do etc. No complaints regarding that or the boarding process itself which is also quite adequate.

4) The flight staff are quite friendly and helpful right from you boarding the plane to you getting off. They demonstrate the emergency procedures adequately before the flight and the aircraft announcements are aptly done to tell you about their plan, weather, scenario in destination airport and schedule which they would meet. Very prompt and attentive to your needs during the course of your flight.

5) Coming to the flight experience itself, I would say over the years, it has proved to be quite good. Comfortable and smooth. There was a time in the very beginning, when I preferred Spicejet in terms of the feel of the flight when airborne. The sudden movements in the air for passengers somehow felt better with them. However, in a period of few flights since their inception Indigo also seemed to have figured out a way to provide a very comfortable flight experience for their passengers.

6) One thing which I and most others appreciate about Indigo is that they are always on time or before time. They take necessary steps to achieve this, even in the event that they have started 5-10 minutes late or so.

7) Some of the amenities on the plane are adequate for our use like the toilets etc. However, the refreshments and drinks although very available for one's purchase don't seem worth your while sometimes. They could improve a bit in that regard to pique the passenger's interest in the same. Also, the sole magazine that is typically at the passenger's disposal is generally one promoting Indigo products and contests, during the flight. One should have the option of reading more than just that if one desires.

8) Another thing about the Indigo Airbus is that for a person with long legs like myself, sitting through the journey is not an issue. However, if I have to move around once airborne, one would have to exert oneself a bit. The leg space between the seats could be a bit more. I believe a group of select spacious seats are there in some segment of the plane. But I don't see why that should be 'select', in this case.

My experience has mostly been with domestic flights between Kolkata and Bangalore, although I've also stopped in intermediate airports on very rare occasions around 9 years ago. I would like to try out other destinations in future. From what I've heard, they have a pretty good set up all over the country and a network of international flights as well. All in all, a pretty good experience over the last decade or so! If they improve upon some small things, like mentioned, they would be even better. I would certainly recommend Indigo for domestic travel.