IndiGo Airlines: Affordable Travel in India and Beyond

I grew up visiting family in India, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned about traveling in India it’s this: Getting to India is expensive, but getting around India isn’t. From rickshaws to taxis to domestic flights, transport in India is very reasonably priced. As most travelers know, the cheapest options are also sometimes those that leave you stranded at an airport overnight. However, that’s not always true—and there are plenty of budget options that get the job done without overcharging you. So how does IndiGo Airlines, India’s budget airline, stack up?

First, some background on IndiGo Airlines, India’s go-to budget airline: IndiGo is headquartered near New Delhi in Gurgaon. Not only do they offer affordable flight prices, but they have pricing tiers to suit each type of traveler. Reserving a “flexi” ticket allows you to make “unlimited modifications to your booking.” You can also opt for “lite fare,” which means you’ll pay less if you’re just traveling with a “hand bag.” (If you don’t choose “lite fare,” IndiGo Airlines baggage allowance is one checked bag.)

IndiGo offers flights to domestic Indian destinations like Jaipur, also known as the “Pink City,” and they fly to many other sought-after Asian destinations like the Maldives, Thailand, and Singapore.

Explore Asia with IndiGo Airlines

If you’re planning an Asia trip and India is your starting point, IndiGo can help you navigate this expansive country, as well as nearby destinations that are high on your travel list. After all, the Maldives is just a three-hour flight from Mumbai.

IndiGo Airlines Reviews: What Travelers Are Saying

If you’re hoping for a great price and a dependable flight to stunning destinations, you’re in luck. This isn’t a first-class or luxury airline, but travelers tend to be reasonably pleased. On TripAdvisor, Primestop noted that IndiGo was dependable and efficient—especially for the price.

“I took two flights in a day with IndiGo,” wrote Primestop. “Both flights were on time leaving, on time arriving, comfortable in Economy with reasonable leg room. The staff were efficient but not pushing to get extra sales from drinks and food, although it was there if you wanted it. For the cheap price, this was an impressive experience.”

Another review from Northste commented that when you purchase an IndiGo ticket, you’re getting exactly what you’d expect for the price. “No thrills, no spills. You get what you pay for,” they wrote. This user experienced a slightly late departure, but their luggage arrived just fine.

Abraham T reported that the aircraft was clean and the staff was helpful. “Flight was on time, smooth check-in, baggage arrival was quick, aircraft was clean, and the staff were helpful and courteous,” he shared on TripAdvisor.

FoodyFoodFood specifically mentioned that they found their IndiGo experience to be better than flying on a North American budget airline. They wrote, “Overall, you get solid (and for us, on time) service at a very low price, with only a seat selection fee for some aisle and exit row seats; definitely very different than the Spirit and Frontier low cost business models in North America where add on fees for seats, checked and carry-on baggage can quickly eat into any lower fare savings.”

In-Flight Experience: Food and Entertainment

It seems like most IndiGo flights are BYOE—bring your own entertainment. It’s a no-frills airline, which means there won’t be an endless supply of movies and music choices. Therefore, travelers are advised to come equipped with a book, a magazine, or a laptop with pre-downloaded movies.

“As far as in-flight entertainment is concerned, they don’t have seat back TVs. IndiGo provides an in-flight magazine, Hello 6E, which has minimal content to read,” wrote Abhishek Panicker on Quora.

Moreover, you’ll have to bring your own snacks, though there’s also in-flight food available for purchase. “Passengers have to pay for their food on-board. No free food is served in IndiGo,” he noted.

FoodyFoodFood compared IndiGo to a flight on Southwest. “Like Southwest, soft drinks are complimentary but unlike Southwest, there are food for purchase options. IndiGo does a much better job of getting through the cabin for service compared to Jet Airways which is more of a full service airline (think American, Delta, or United). Flight attendants were friendly, helpful, and efficient,” they added.

Check-In Process for IndiGo Airlines

To alleviate long queues at the airports, IndiGo allows passengers to take advantage of a web check-in facility. Travelers can check in online at any time within 2 hours before their international flights and 1 hour before the departure of domestic flights, as reported by Ease My Trip.

FoodyFoodFood also provided context, explaining that the boarding process is fairly quick. “Boarding starts early and ends early with no more than 5 minutes between ‘now boarding’ and the ‘final boarding’ calls. Customers line up without a lot of pushing and shoving for a very orderly boarding process … since bags can be checked, there is not much concern about sufficient space for carry-on bags which removes a lot of tension.”

IndiGo Airlines Baggage Policy

According to Seat Guru, IndiGo’s web check-in allows you to check in 2 to 48 hours before your flight departs. No checked baggage is allowed when using web check-in. Passengers may bring one piece of carry-on baggage.

FoodyFoodFood added that there are weight specifications for checked bags. “Checked baggage is limited to 15kg (33lbs) before baggage fees kick in … [the fees are] about Rs400 per kilogram. This is similar to most other Indian airlines except for Air India, which offers 25kg of free checked baggage.”