Club Vistara to Merge With Air India’s Flying Returns Programme

A joint venture of Singapore Airlines and Tata Sons, the popular Vistara airline was set to merge with Air India ever since 2022. While some initially expected the merger to be completed by 2025, it now seems that it will happen sometime this year. Air India is one of the premier airlines in our country offering a large number of domestic and international routes. Recently it also revamped its frequent flyer program in order to align with the merger with Vistara.

The frequent flyer program Club Vistara will also be merged with Air India’s Flying Returns program. “The Club Vistara program will continue to exist until the integration is complete. Upon completion of the integration process, your Club Vistara account will be migrated to Air India’s Flying Returns,” the airline said in an official statement on May 16. Those who are part of these programs or have Vistara Club Co-Branded Credit Cards should be aware of all the new rules and regulations after the merger.

What Changes Can Be Expected While Club Vistara Merges With Flying Returns?

Changes to Tier Status – The new tier status in the Flying Returns program shall be assigned on the basis of the total cumulative points of both programs. Everyone shall either be upgraded to a new tier or stay on the same based on their points. Further in the future, all the rules of the Flying Returns shall be applicable.

CV Points and Tier Points Balance – One of the main concerns regarding the merger of both clubs is regarding the CV Points balance. All the CV Points shall be transferred to the Flying Returns program at a 1:1 ratio. What more is that all the points shall be valid for a period of one year from the date of migration even if they were to expire sooner.

Vouchers – All valid, unused One-Class Upgrade vouchers and Complimentary Flight Ticket vouchers will be transferred to Flying Returns with their existing validity. Their usage will be governed by the applicable program rules.

Future Bookings With CV Points and Complimentary Flight Ticket Vouchers— All future bookings will be transferred, and you and your nominees will receive the revised flight details after migration. Any changes to the existing bookings will be as per Flying Returns’ rules after the migration.

How Are Vistara Credit Cardholders Affected?

As of now, there haven’t been any updates regarding the Vistara Co-Branded Credit Cards. But more information shall be released in the coming weeks.

Bottom Line

The Air India and Vistara merger is currently in progress and is expected to be completed before the end of the year, pending necessary regulatory approval. As part of the airlines’ merger, the frequent flyer programs CV Club and Flying Returns have also been merged. While information has been released about the merger of Club Vistara and Air India’s Flying Returns, there have been no updates regarding co-branded Vistara Credit Cards.

Currently, co-branded Vistara Credit Cards are offered in partnership with IDFC Bank, Axis Bank, and SBI Card. It will be interesting to see how Air India integrates the frequent flyer program and the potential changes to the credit cards.