IndiGo Partners With Malaysia Airlines – India Report

Malaysia Airlines has entered into a codeshare agreement with India’s largest airline IndiGo. The agreement would allow the airlines to provide the networks of both carriers to their respective customers. 

In a statement, Datuk Captain Izham Ismail, group managing director, Malaysia Aviation Group, said that India is its largest international market. He added, “We are delighted to partner with IndiGo to widen our reach beyond the nine hubs we currently operate within India.” The Malaysian flag carrier currently operates 71 weekly flights to India. 

IndiGo’s partnership agreements: IndiGo plans to double in size by 2030. As part of this plan, it is seeking to fly more international routes, and increase its codeshare partnerships. Malaysia Airlines is its latest codeshare partner. IndiGo has existing agreements with Australia-based Qantas Airways, Turkish Airways, Qatar Airways, KLM-AirFrance, American Airline, and British Airways, among others. 

Hotel Room Rates in February 2024 Increased by 9%

The Average Daily Rates (ADRs) of Indian hotels in February 2024 were 7-9% higher than those in February 2023. A report by hospitality advisory firm HVS ANAROCK revealed that as compared to January, the ADRs increased by 5-7%. The ADRs in February this year also surpassed the pre-Covid levels of February 2019 by 29-31%. 

The Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) in February this year increased by 15-17% over January. It was also 24-26% higher than the pre-Covid levels. HVS ANAROCK report added that between January 1 and February 29 this year, 10 branded hotels opened while 43 were signed. 

Hilton Signs Conrad Hotel in Jaipur

Hilton has announced the signing of Conrad Jaipur in Rajasthan. This is set to be the third Conrad property in the country, after Pune and Bengaluru. 

The hotel brand is optimistic about India. Alan Watts, president, Asia Pacific, Hilton, said that the country is a priority market for the company. “Rajasthan in particular boasts 75% of India’s heritage properties, and its capital city of Jaipur has quickly established itself as a preferred destination for tourism and weddings,” he added. 

Hilton believes that 2024 is going to be its best year in India so far. In an interview with Skift, Zubin Saxena, the newly appointed senior vice president and country head, India of Hilton, said that the company will double its footprint in India over the next three to four years. The company currently operates 26 hotels in India. 

FLY91 Partners With IBS Software

India’s newest regional airline FLY91 has partnered with aviation software solutions provider IBS Software. The airline is hoping to attract and retain customers through the software company’s simple and efficient reservation system. Accordingly, FLY91 will implement IBS Software’s iFly Res commerce platform, which will also deliver dynamic pricing capabilities. 

FLY91 started its commercial operations on March 18 this year. It aims to enhance regional connectivity in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. The airline currently operates in four cities – Goa, Bengaluru, Sindudurg, and Hyderabad. This month, it is planning to commence operations in Agatti, Pune, Jalgaon, and Nanded. 

Bengaluru Most Affordable Tourist Destination in India

Online travel platform Agoda has revealed that Bengaluru is the most affordable tourist destination in India during the upcoming April-May season. The city has an average room rate of INR 4,600 ($55). 

Bengaluru is the sixth-cheapest destination in the list of Asian tourist destinations shared by Agoda. Udon Thani in Thailand topped the list with an average room rate of INR 2,300 ($28). It is followed by Surabaya, Indonesia; Hue, Vietnam; Kuching, Malaysia; and Iloilo, Philippines. 

Goibibo Onboards Father-Son Actor Duo Jayaram, Kalidas As Brand Ambassadors

Online travel agency Goibibo has onboarded actor Jayaram and his actor son Kalidas Jayaram as its brand ambassadors. The announcement has come with the launch of the brand’s first digital film starring the actor duo. The brand has also onboarded Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor Khan as its brand ambassador last year. 

Online travel agencies partnering with celebrities to capture the attention of the audience. Amid the ongoing cricket IPL season, online travel platform Cleartrip recently onboarded former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as its brand ambassador.