IndiGo was one of the airlines I flew frequently around 2016, largely because I received IndiGo vouchers through the Amex Platinum Travel card. When Amex replaced those vouchers with SpiceJet credits, I gradually reduced my IndiGo travel—not solely because of the change in vouchers, but also because I started flying and enjoying business-class cabins more often.
By 2018 I was flying economy only on routes without a business-class option. Recently, however, I had to take an IndiGo economy flight from Chennai to Kochi on Republic Day because it was the only schedule that fit my plans.
After becoming accustomed to business-class conveniences, long check-in queues feel particularly unpleasant. During that Chennai–Kochi trip I tried a few ways to get a more premium experience on IndiGo while flying economy. Below are the options I found useful.
Table of Contents
- IndiGo Fast Forward
- Extra Legroom Seats
- Final Thoughts
IndiGo Fast Forward
IndiGo offers an add-on called “Fast Forward” that provides:
- Priority check-in
- Priority baggage handling
- Cost: Rs. 400
Think of it as access to a dedicated check-in counter similar to what business-class passengers receive. On my recent trip, purchasing Fast Forward saved me at least an hour in the queue during the Republic Day rush. On a typical day it will likely save you around 30 minutes.
In 2018 I flew only business class, whenever available. But looks like 2019 is not that lucky for me!
Yet, IndiGo’s “Fast Forward” definitely saved over 1hr today. #IndiGo #FastForward #PriorityCheckin #RepublicDayRush pic.twitter.com/N7UnyPCT3j
— Siddharth Raman (@iSiddharthRaman) January 26, 2019
Extra Legroom Seats
IndiGo doesn’t have a separate business cabin on many short-haul routes, but you can still improve comfort by selecting seats that offer extra legroom, such as:
- First-row seats
- Emergency-exit row seats
- Cost: Rs. 800 / 600
First-row and exit-row seats provide noticeably more space compared to the standard, tightly packed economy rows. The price for first-row seats is reasonable for the added comfort. I do find it ironic that some carriers charge for emergency-exit seats when passengers are taking a responsibility that could be considered part of safety procedures.
Personally, I prefer exit-row seating when it’s available and free; for example, regional carrier TruJet didn’t charge me extra for those seats on flights out of Salem, so I usually pick them when flying that airline.
Final Thoughts
Combining options like Fast Forward and extra-legroom seating can create an experience similar to premium economy at a fraction of the cost. On my Republic Day trip, these additions made travel far more seamless despite flying in economy, so I wanted to share the approach.
I also hope IndiGo launches a fully featured loyalty program and an associated credit card soon—those have been anticipated for a long time.
Have you tried IndiGo Fast Forward, or am I the only one who gets excited about small upgrades? 😀