Vistara signs codeshare agreement with Singapore Airlines and SilkAir

Singapore Airlines (SIA) and SilkAir have signed an agreement to codeshare on Indian domestic flights operated by Vistara, effective March 14. This means, all SIA and SilkAir passengers will now be issued tickets that go beyond the cities at which these carriers land.

Phee TeikYeoh, Vistara’s CEO says, “We are delighted to establish our first codeshare partnership with Singapore Airlines and SilkAir. As we continuously work towards eventually becoming a globally renowned airline, codeshare partnerships will play a very important role in helping us get closer to realising that aspiration.”

Under the agreement, SIA will add the SQ code to its Vistara-operated flights from Mumbai and Delhi to ten Indian cities, namely Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Kochi, Kolkata and Port Blair. SIA also flies directly from Singapore to Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata, but doesn’t have codeshare flights from these cities.

SilkAir will add the MI code to its Vistara-operated flights from Bengaluru and Kolkata to six Indian destinations, namely Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kochi, Mumbai, New Delhi and Port Blair. SilkAir directly connects Singapore to Bengaluru, Chennai, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Kochi and Kolkata, but doesn’t have codeshare flights from these cities.

This is the first of its kind agreement for all three airlines — the first codeshare agreement for Vistara and the first codeshare agreement for the SIA group (SIA and SilkAir) with an Indian-based domestic carrier.

Tan Kai Ping, SIA’s senior VP of marketing planning says, “Through the new codeshare agreement, both SIA and SilkAir are able to expand our network reach in the important India market, providing our customers even more travel options and enhanced KrisFlyer benefits.”

As a result of the codeshare partnership, members of KrisFlyer and Club Vistara will enjoy additional tier benefits. A release by Vistara explains that SIA group’s “KrisFlyer Elite Gold and PPS Club members will enjoy lounge access, increased baggage allowance, and priority baggage handling, check-in and boarding when travelling on Vistara-operated flights. Likewise, Club Vistara Platinum and Gold members will enjoy the same benefits when travelling on SIAoperated flights. PPS Club and KrisFlyer members will earn Elite miles when travelling on SIA codeshare flights operated by Vistara”. KrisFlyer members can also redeem their miles for Vistara flights, and vice versa.

Vistara is a New Delhi-based joint venture between Tata Sons and SIA. It marked its second anniversary of operations on January 9, 2017. airvistara.com; singaporeair.com; silkair.com