Vistara: getting harder and harder to redeem award flights?

[pleasegiveltf]

Is it just me or is it getting harder for everyone to redeem their award flights on Vistara (vouchers / CV points)

• When I joined a couple years ago: Economy almost always available if booked a few weeks in advance.
• Last year: Had to make a couple of compromises since the date I wanted was not available - near by dates were, so I was okay with it (Premium Economy tickets)
• This year: I'm trying to book for flights next month and there are no Economy seats! There's none for even 2.5 months out for my sector! (CV Point booking - there are some premium economy tickets though).

 

[sxchzy]

thats what happend when 4 banks issue co branded cards
and all other airlines are shit in service

 

[Nishan11]

Vistara Co branded cards are getting issued in huge numbers,situation will keep getting more worse.

 

[amitr29]

Is it just me or is it getting harder for everyone to redeem their award flights on Vistara (vouchers / CV points)

• When I joined a couple years ago: Economy almost always available if booked a few weeks in advance.
• Last year: Had to make a couple of compromises since the date I wanted was not available - near by dates were, so I was okay with it (Premium Economy tickets)
• This year: I'm trying to book for flights next month and there are no Economy seats! There's none for even 2.5 months out for my sector! (CV Point booking - there are some premium economy tickets though).

Absolutely, Vistara Infinite card holder since 2019 and then it was so easy to get a BC Del- Bom even a day prior, now it's near to impossible.Now even with points a economy booking is a big challenge and need to plan at least 30 days in advance

 

[MangoRush]

So many co-branded cards and this was bound to happen, just like the long queues on lounges

 

[pleasegiveltf]

thats what happend when 4 banks issue co branded cards
and all other airlines are shit in service

Vistara Co branded cards are getting issued in huge numbers,situation will keep getting more worse.

Absolutely, Vistara Infinite card holder since 2019 and then it was so easy to get a BC Del- Bom even a day prior, now it's near to impossible.Now even with points a economy booking is a big challenge and need to plan at least 30 days in advance

So many co-branded cards and this was bound to happen, just like the long queues on lounges

Really disappointing! Vistara was the best option for me as I don't stay in expensive hotels that often. Flights were always a "necessity" so I always treated Vistara vouchers/CV points as equivalent to cash and it gives 5-6% reward rate on both offline and online transactions (which is conservative since I value PE economy tickets the same as E tickets).

With Axis Vistara & SBI Vistara vouchers almost every flight I took in 2023 were taxes only! Now I'm not even able to make a Economy booking 2.5 months later. Already made 2 cash bookings, unable to redeem my vouchers/CV points.

Might have to go back to a cashback card or something like that if this keep worsening.

 

[sxchzy]

shift to hdfc cards where you can redeem points at 1:1 at smartbuy

 

[pleasegiveltf]

shift to hdfc cards where you can redeem points at 1:1 at smartbuy

@sxchzy - Dumb question incoming. I don't own any HDFC cards (applied a few years later, got rejected) so this went over my head. What does this mean exactly? I can redeem 1 HDFC RP for ₹1? Or 1:1 transfer between HDFC & Vistara CV points?

 

[Yugi]

@sxchzy - Dumb question incoming. I don't own any HDFC cards (applied a few years later, got rejected) so this went over my head. What does this mean exactly? I can redeem 1 HDFC RP for ₹1? Or 1:1 transfer between HDFC & Vistara CV points?

This means one can book revenue tickets using reward points where 1 RP = 1 Rs for DCB and Infinia

 

[sxchzy]

@sxchzy - Dumb question incoming. I don't own any HDFC cards (applied a few years later, got rejected) so this went over my head. What does this mean exactly? I can redeem 1 HDFC RP for ₹1? Or 1:1 transfer between HDFC & Vistara CV points?

lets say you accumilate 10k points
a flight ticket costing 10k
you can redeem your points at the rate 1:1 up to 70% of the ticket value and pay the remaining 30%

 

[BMR]

This means one can book revenue tickets using reward points where 1 RP = 1 Rs for DCB and Infinia

Which HDFC card other than Infinia and DCB gives 1 = 1?

 

[sxchzy]

all cards allow 1:1 rate redemption

 

[adi654]

I HAVE ONE CLASS UPGRADE VOUCHER ..ANY ONE WANT TO BUY DM ME...

 

[amitr29]

all cards allow 1:1 rate redemption

Only Infinia and DCB Metal

 

[Arosaurabh]

Is it just me or is it getting harder for everyone to redeem their award flights on Vistara (vouchers / CV points)

• When I joined a couple years ago: Economy almost always available if booked a few weeks in advance.
• Last year: Had to make a couple of compromises since the date I wanted was not available - near by dates were, so I was okay with it (Premium Economy tickets)
• This year: I'm trying to book for flights next month and there are no Economy seats! There's none for even 2.5 months out for my sector! (CV Point booking - there are some premium economy tickets though).

Enjoy till it lasts , once it merges with Air India in 2024, no body knows what would CV program look like.

 

[xxScriptzxx]

You need to plan in advance. I just booked blr-ahm and blr-delhi two award seats in each sector for april second week. For blr-ahm got a value of 1rs per vistara point, since flight prices are very high during april month (school holidays)

 

[sharad131]

Just like holiday special trains, a time will come very soon when Vistara will fly special flight on some sectors only for CV points redemptions earned through Banks

 

[pleasegiveltf]

You need to plan in advance. I just booked blr-ahm and blr-delhi two award seats in each sector for april second week. For blr-ahm got a value of 1rs per vistara point, since flight prices are very high during april month (school holidays)

There's no Economy award seats until mid June for my sector. That's a 3 month window. Not every trip can be planned 3 months in advance.

 

[Dragon_slayer]

Do you live in a non metro city? I never had issues with Vistara so far. Booked 4 business class tickets yesterday only

 

[R!ppEr]

depends on the sector you wanna fly