SpiceJet and IndiGo have removed fuel surcharge from all of their pricing and have included it with the base fare to make pricing and fare displays simpler and transparent. The move was first announced by SpiceJet during the day, and by the evening, IndiGo, which has the largest market share, followed its low-cost rival.
Going forward, the fare displayed will be same as what a passenger will pay. Only taxes and fees payable to the government and third parties, such as the user development fee, will be extra.
“The standard way of displaying fares practiced by airlines in India is often confusing to customers, and we hope with our simplification initiative, customers will be better informed and more willing to purchase tickets without fearing the final price will be very different from the so-called and often meaningless “base fare”, said Kaneswaran Avili, Chief Commercial Officer, SpiceJet.
IndoGo did not make any public announcement and neither its communications personnel offered any comment. But IndiGo’s website was showing unified fare like that of SpiceJet. Other airlines are likely to follow.
