Flying IndiGo Stretch? Your bags will arrive first, and the onboard meal is changing

IndiGo has revised its business class offering, IndiGo Stretch, with changes to its onboard menu and the introduction of priority baggage handling as it looks to attract both business and leisure travellers. The airline is making the changes as it competes with Air India and international carriers for a larger share of traffic, while also trying to improve occupancy and revenue in a high-fare, slow-demand environment following the outbreak of tensions in West Asia.

The airline launched IndiGo Stretch on the Delhi-Mumbai route in November 2024 using a dual-class Airbus A321 aircraft. The product offers wider seats, better leg room and complimentary meals, among other benefits. It was later introduced on more domestic routes and then extended to international services operated by IndiGo’s own aircraft and leased Boeing 787 planes.

IndiGo’s Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft, which operate on domestic and short-haul international routes, do not have ovens. As a result, although Stretch seats are priced lower than Air India’s business class seats, the product did not offer hot meals on domestic and short-haul routes. Lounge access is also limited to a few European routes. The airline has, however, recently made changes aimed at making the product more attractive.

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Priority baggage for Stretch customers was introduced from May 1, with bags tagged at origin and delivered first on the belt at destination. An IndiGo spokesperson said the meal service in the Stretch cabin on Airbus A321 aircraft had been elevated for a consistent and premium experience. The service now includes tray service with fine chinaware and steel cutlery. “On domestic sectors customers can enjoy a thoughtfully curated time of the day based rotating menu while on regional international routes ready to eat hot meals are offered,” she said. “We have been observing encouraging customer response to these improvements,” she added.

At present, 53 IndiGo aircraft have a dual-class configuration, including three Airbus A321XLRs operating to Athens and Istanbul. Both the A321XLRs and the leased Boeing 787 planes flying to Amsterdam, London and Manchester have ovens. The airline has also recently introduced the Stretch product on the Chennai-Singapore and Delhi-Pune routes, and the business class product is expected to be launched on the Bengaluru-Mauritius route from July.

Ameya Joshi, founder of aviation blog Network Thoughts, said, “The initial focus was to introduce the Stretch service on metro-to-metro routes. However, it appears that demand on domestic routes was slow and the service was launched on popular international routes such as Bangkok and Dubai. IndiGo carries a lot of international traffic coming from Europe and the US. Introducing Stretch service on routes like Delhi-Pune thus helps it offer consistent service to its customers.” The latest changes to the product come as IndiGo expands Stretch across more domestic and international routes.