Air India, now owned by Tata Group, has implemented a Self Baggage Drop (SBD) system at Ahmedabad airport to streamline the baggage check-in process for domestic flights. Passengers can use self-checking kiosks to drop their bags, receive boarding passes and baggage tags, and proceed directly to security check-in. The SBD system aims to reduce long queues and ease the movement of passengers. Air India is the second airline, after Indigo Airlines, to introduce this system at the airport. The Ahmedabad domestic airport handles around 250 flights and 25,000-30,000 passengers daily. [79ca18e2]
In addition to the implementation of the SBD system, Air India has also made changes to its baggage allowance policy. The airline has reduced the free cabin baggage allowance from 20 kg to 15 kg for the lowest economy fare class on domestic routes. This change is part of the menu-based pricing model fare families, launched last August. Prior to the fare families concept, passengers on Air India's domestic flights were allowed to carry 25 kg of cabin baggage free of any additional charge. The three fare groups - Comfort, Comfort Plus, and Flex - offer distinct levels of benefits and fare restrictions at various price points. With effect from May 2, the free cabin baggage allowance for the 'Comfort' and 'Comfort Plus' categories has been reduced to 15 kg from 20 kg and 25 kg, respectively. The spokesperson emphasized that fare families are designed to allow passengers to select fares and services that best suit their requirements, considering the diverse preferences of travelers. [8b17d5bd]
Meanwhile, Air India Express has extended the exemptions for carrying mangoes to mainland India and Kuwait. The airline will allow passengers to carry up to 5 kg of mangoes as part of their free baggage allowance. The exemption is valid until June 30, 2021. Air India Express had initially introduced the exemption for passengers traveling from Kerala to the Gulf region. [47899938]