Air India launches ‘Fly Prior’ service for same-day early departures

Air India, a global airline, today introduced a new ancillary service, ‘Fly Prior’, to provide greater flexibility in travel plans to its guests flying within India.

With ‘Fly Prior’, Air India guests now have the option to take an alternative flight departing up to 12 hours before their originally booked flight, provided the departure dates of both flights are scheduled on the same date. This allows travellers to make last-minute amends to their travel plans according to their needs, whether it is to make an unscheduled appointment or simply to arrive at their destination earlier.

Air India’s ‘Fly Prior’ service allows passengers to take an earlier flight on the same day, subject to seat availability in the same class. The service is available at Air India’s ticketing counters and check-in desks at airports across India. It is free for Gold and Platinum members of the Flying Returns loyalty program, while others can purchase it for an additional fee.

Upon opting for the service, Air India guests will receive instant confirmation of their modified booking on the earlier departing flight and their checked baggage (if any) will be instantly accepted. Any other purchased ancillary services previously added to a booking such as excess baggage, priority handling, upgrade, etc., will be transferred to the earlier flight, except seat selection and special meal requests.

The ‘Fly Prior’ service fees are structured based on flight routes:

• Rs 2,199 for flights between major cities, namely Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Pune

• Rs 1,499 for flights to or from any other destinations within India