Skift Take
IndiGo's decision to add a hotel booking platform to its website and app seems to be aimed at targeting potential customers looking for a one-step solution for hotel and flight bookings. It is not the first Indian airline to make this move, but for a user base that pivots towards OTAs to find the most price-conscious option as well as deals, will this work?
The Skift India Newsletter is your go-to platform for all news related to travel, tourism, airlines, and hospitality in India.
Low-cost carrier IndiGo has introduced a new hotel booking option on its website and app. The airline said the aim of the integrated service is to allow passengers the convenience of a one-step solution.
In a statement, the airline said that the customers who choose to fly with IndiGo would be able to avail exclusive discounts over 700,000 properties across 250,000 destinations.
To develop and manage the hotel platform integrated with the flight platform, the airline has partnered with Vernost Marketing Services, a marketing partner of the Expedia group. Through this, IndiGo customers will be able to access Expedia’s hotel portfolio.
Not The First: IndiGo is not the first Indian airline to provide this integrated service of flight and hotel booking. Full service airline Vistara has a hotel booking platform powered by online travel agency Booking.com. The platform allows customers to earn 5 Club Vistara reward points for every INR 100 ($1.20) spent on the hotel booking.
Budget airline SpiceJet also has a Spice Vacations platform that allows customers to book hotels, flights, or flight and hotel combinations as required.
Expanding Operations: IndiGo is expanding its operations rapidly, while awaiting the launch