What is the difference between an offer-based upgrade and purchasing a ticket directly for Premium Economy or Business Class?

When you buy a ticket in Premium Economy or Business Class, you will be guaranteed a seat in the relevant cabin. This is the only way of ensuring that you will fly in this cabin class.

With an offer-based upgrade, passengers can make an offer for what they think the upgrade to a higher travel class would be worth to them, up to one hour before departure. Vistara decides whether to accept these offers, based on the offers received and the booking conditions. Therefore, you cannot be sure whether you will get a seat in your desired travel class until shortly before departure.

What is not included in the upgrade?

The offer-based upgrade is only valid for the flight for which you have made the offer. The fare conditions of the ticket which you originally purchased remain valid, even if your upgrade offer has been accepted. You will earn CV Points based on your original class of booking, not the class of service to which you upgraded. If you decide you want to rebook or cancel your flight after Vistara has accepted your upgrade offer, you will no longer be entitled to that upgrade. The upgrade cannot be transferred to another flight and the amount you paid is non-refundable, irrespective of your original ticket’s fare conditions.

How does Vistara Upgrade work?

1. Book your flight on airvistara.com, through our Customer Service Center, mobile app, Airport Ticketing Office, online travel agents or through your travel agent. You can join our mailing list to receive timely communication from Vistara regarding the ongoing deals and offers. Bookings made via redemption of Club Vistara Points are not eligible to participate.
2. You might receive an invitation email from Vistara telling you about the service with a link to submit your offer.  If you go to Manage My Booking, you will find a link which can be used to check whether your flight is eligible for an upgrade, and to submit your offer through the Vistara Upgrade page.
3. Quote your offer.
4. Enter your credit card details for general verification, review, agree to the Terms and Conditions and submit your offer. Your credit card will only be charged once your upgrade has been confirmed.
5. You will receive a confirmation email which will contain the offer details for each leg of your flight.
6. You may use this confirmation email as a link to cancel or change your offer up to 3 hours prior to departure. The offer cannot be cancelled once it has been accepted already.
7. From 48 hours prior to departure, all offers submitted are reviewed and the available seats in Premium Economy and Business Class cabin will be assigned.  If your offer has been accepted, you will receive an email confirmation for your upgrade within 48 to 2 hours prior to departure.  If your offer is not accepted, you will receive an email informing you about this.

If you booked your flight through a travel agency and the email in the booking is that of the travel agent’s, the travel agent may submit a bid on your behalf or they may forward the email to you and you may bid for yourself.  Alternatively, you may check your eligibility and place your bid.

What will happen if I make an offer and it is successful?

You will receive an email 48 to 1.5 hours prior to schedule departure time informing you that your offer was successful. Your credit card will be charged by the amount you offered.

What will happen if I make an offer and it is not successful?

You will receive an email 48 to 1.5 hours prior to scheduled departure time informing you that your offer was unsuccessful. Please be assured that your credit card will not be charged in case your bid is not successful.  

Do I have to pay for the upgrade immediately upon submitting my offer?

No, you only pay for the upgrade when your offer has actually been accepted. This happens between 48 and 1 hour before the scheduled departure time of each flight segment.

Can I pay with two different credit cards?

No, payment for the upgrade can only be made as one transaction and using one credit card.

Can I submit an offer for an upgrade even without a credit card?

 To participate in the bidding, you need a valid credit card. Unfortunately, no alternative payment methods are acceptable.

When does Vistara decide who will receive an upgrade?

We will inform around 48 to 2 hours before scheduled departure time via email whether your upgrade offer has been accepted or not. The decision will be at the sole discretion of Vistara.

What criteria does Vistara use to assess my offer?

We use various criteria’s when assessing the upgrade offers. These include but are not limited to; the amount of your offer and the amount of the other offers, the number of seats available and the number of passengers in the booking amongst other criteria which may change from time to time.

How and when do I find out if I have been upgraded?

If your offer has been accepted, we will inform you by email 48 to 1.5 hours before the scheduled departure time. We will also inform you via email if your offer has been declined and your credit card will not be debited for the same.

What happens if I am not upgraded?

We will inform you via email between 48 and 1.5 hours before departure, whether your offer was successful. Your credit card will not be debited, and you will fly in the travel class that you originally booked.

If my offer was not accepted, will I be told why?

Numerous factors play a role in the selection process and it would be difficult for us to identify why individual offers were not successful. The selection process lies at the sole of discretion of Vistara.

How can I find out about the status of my offer?

In the email confirmation of receipt of your offer, you will find a link providing all the information. If you click on this link and select the relevant flight, you can see the status of your offer in the top right-hand corner of the window.

What does it mean if I see an authorisation of the upgrade amount on my credit card?

As part of the decision-making process, we may check whether your credit card account has sufficient funds. However, this does not guarantee that you will receive an upgrade.

Can I transfer the upgrade to another flight once my offer has been accepted?

Successful upgrade offers are only valid for the flight specified, the passengers included in the booking and the date specified. They are not transferable to another person or another flight and are non-refundable.

Can I increase my offer if I discover that I will not receive the upgrade?

If your offer has not been accepted; you cannot submit a new offer. To have the best chances of a successful upgrade, it is advised to submit your best offer in the first bid.

Does Vistara Upgrade only apply on return bookings?

All flight legs/segment where Vistara Upgrade is available will be listed and you will have the opportunity to make your offer on any or all the legs you choose.  You are required to make your offer for every leg in your itinerary however, some legs in your itinerary may not be eligible for the same. For illustrative purposes, the customer has booked a Delhi to Hyderabad, via Mumbai. The customer has opted for an upgrade for the Delhi to Mumbai leg, while he/she did not for the Mumbai to Hyderabad leg. In this case, the upgrade service and benefits will only be applicable on the Delhi-Mumbai leg and not for the Mumbai-Hyderabad leg.

I have booked an Economy Lite fare, am I eligible for Vistara Upgrade?

Customers booked under Economy Lite fares for travel on or before 30th September 2020 will be eligible for upgrade via Vistara Upgrade.

Can I choose to upgrade a specific traveller when a booking has more than one traveller?

All customers in the booking will be considered. Bid for a specific customer cannot be submitted.

What if I am travelling with a passenger who does not want to use Vistara Upgrade?

You can split the booking by contacting your travel agent or our Customer Service Center. You will then receive a new PNR Number. Upon receiving the same, you may submit your individual offer.

Can Club Vistara members redeem their CV points for Vistara Upgrade?

Club Vistara members cannot redeem their CV points for Vistara Upgrade. This upgrade offer cannot be combined with any other upgrade options.

Once confirmed, is an upgrade refundable?

Offer-based upgrades are non-refundable.

What must I be aware of if I want to cancel a ticket that includes an upgrade?

Offer-based upgrades are non-refundable. If you want to cancel your ticket, you will have to forfeit the amount paid for the upgrade, irrespective of your ticket’s cancellation terms. Please be aware of this before submitting an offer.

What happens with my upgrade if I want to rebook my flight?

The offer-based upgrade is valid exclusively for the flight and passenger or passengers for which/whom you have submitted the offer. If you decide you want to rebook, you forfeit your claim to the upgrade. Unfortunately, it is not possible to transfer the upgrade to another flight. Upgrade payments are non-refundable. If you change your travel date, you will be rebooked based on the original applicable fare rules. You will not be rebooked in the upgraded class. Please be aware of this before submitting an offer.

What happens with my upgrade if I miss my flight?

If you miss your flight, you forfeit your claim to the upgrade. Upgrade payments are non-refundable and non-transferable.

This is an electronic contract in terms of Information Technology Act, 2000 and rules there under, as applicable. This electronic contract is generated by a computer system and does not require any physical or digital signatures. These Terms and Conditions create a binding legal agreement between a person availing the upgrade service at https://www.airvistara.com/in/en/deals-offers/optionalservices/vistara-upgrade  (“you” or “passenger”) and TATA SIA Airlines Limited (“Vistara”).

Eligibility

If a booking is eligible, Vistara may send an email invitation to Passenger to make an offer to opt for Vistara Upgrade. Participation is by invitation only and Vistara has the right to determine eligibility at its sole and absolute discretion. Not all passengers will be extended an invitation.

Only passengers with confirmed ticket documentation purchased for travel with Vistara under select booking classes may be eligible to make an offer under Vistara Upgrade, for the opportunity to upgrade from the cabin class originally purchased to the next higher cabin class. Redemption tickets are not eligible for upgrade Offer.

Validity 

An invitation shall be valid until two hours prior to the scheduled departure for domestic and international flights. Changes to (including but not limited to the cancellation of) an Offer can only be made during this validity period for that flight segment.

An invitation may be invalidated if the relevant booking is modified or cancelled at any time prior to the scheduled departure of the eligible flight segment. All decisions relating to the validity of an Invitation shall be in the sole and absolute discretion of Vistara and shall be final and conclusive.

Only one Offer can be submitted for each segment. An Offer shall be taken as an Offer for all passengers named in the relevant booking, and shall be deemed an undertaking by the passenger making the submission of such Offer that he/she is authorised to act on behalf of all the passengers identified in the relevant booking.

Payment

Payment for an Offer can be made by way of credit card only. Payment by debit card, UPI or wallet and all other forms of payment are not accepted.

The Passenger making the submission of an Offer is responsible for ensuring that the credit card indicated as payment for the Offer is valid and has sufficient funds for the Offer from the Offer submission, to the departure of the flight segment associated with the Offer.

Cancelation 

An Offer can be submitted, amended or cancelled from the time of receipt of the invitation until 3 hours prior to the scheduled departure of the flight segment associated with the Offer, an Offer cannot be cancelled if it has been accepted already.

An Offer may be invalidated if the relevant booking is modified or cancelled at any time prior to the scheduled departure of the eligible flight segment. All decisions relating to the validity of an Offer shall be in the sole and absolute discretion of Vistara, and shall be final and conclusive.

The eligibility of any flight segment may be changed, subject to the availability of seats in the higher cabin class which are the subject matter of Vistara Upgrade.

Submission

The submitted Offer amount (in the submitted currency) will be deducted from the credit card by Vistara’s partner for Vistara Upgrade, Plusgrade, at any time between the Offer acceptance and the departure of the flight segment associated with the Offer. A fee or charge may be levied by the bank which issued the credit card, whose fee or charge shall be borne by the Passenger.

In the event that the Offer amount has not been collected for whatever reason and the relevant booking is upgraded, Vistara reserves the right either to cancel the upgrade or to deduct or retrieve the amount unpaid for the Offer at any time.

All fare conditions of a ticket with one or more upgraded flight segments will remain the same as that of the ticket before the flight segment(s) were upgraded.

Baggage Allowance

The baggage allowance for the upgraded passenger flight segment(s) in the relevant booking will be as per Vistara’s prevailing free baggage allowance policy, except that extra baggage allowance may not be accorded when the itinerary contains a flight segment operated/marketed by another airline.

An upgraded flight segment is not entitled to further upgrade regardless of the means of upgrade.

When upgrading to Premium Economy, one can enjoy increased check-in and hand baggage allowance, selection of flavourful food and beverages including Starbucks coffee and priority check-in, boarding and baggage handling.

When upgrading to Business Class, one can enjoy priority check-in, boarding and baggage handling, increased check-in and hand baggage allowance, complimentary lounge access and specially curated menu.

An upgraded passenger may not receive all benefits applicable such as lounge access and meal services to the upgraded class. Please note that separate terms and conditions may apply to the said benefits. Additionally, some of these benefits may not be applicable due to COVID-19.

Upon acceptance of an Offer, similar seating arrangements to the original booking cannot be guaranteed. Upgraded seats may only be available for selection at check-in.

With the sole exception of the scenarios mentioned in section below, the upgrade is non-refundable, non-transferrable and non-changeable (i.e. no date/flight/destination changes).

Vistara does not guarantee that the relevant booking, including but not limited to its fares, terms and conditions, will be available should the upgrade be cancelled or forfeited for any reason whatsoever.

The amount paid for an upgrade of a flight segment for a passenger will only be refundable if (i) that flight segment has been cancelled by Vistara, (ii) that flight segment is eventually operated by an aircraft without a Premium Economy or Business Class cabin due to an aircraft change, (iii) the passenger is eventually unable to travel in the upgraded class on that flight segment because the upgraded class cabin has been overbooked, or (iv) the passenger misses the flight on that flight segment because he/she was on a delayed inbound connecting flight operated by Vistara. Notwithstanding the above, if the passenger in any of the above scenarios is re-accommodated on any seat of equivalent or higher class as the upgraded seat on the same/a different flight, the amount paid for the upgrade shall not be refundable.

The refund pursuant to section above will be made in the amount currency that was paid for the upgrade, except that any fee and/or charge pursuant to section above shall not be refundable by Vistara. The refund specified herein will be the full and final compensation from Vistara.

A passenger may at any time withdraw his/her consent to receive an email invitation to join Vistara Upgrade. Vistara will provide such option in each email invitation.

Vistara reserves the right to make changes to Vistara Upgrade, including but not limited to terminating Vistara Upgrade or any part thereof, at any time with or without prior notice to anyone. Vistara is not liable to Passenger for any loss of value or benefits that may arise as a result of any changes made to Vistara Upgrade.

Passengers can contact us on +91 9289228888 for any enquiries with regard to Vistara Upgrade. 

Governing Law and Jurisdiction:

The Terms and Conditions shall be governed by the laws of India. Any dispute arising out of or in connection with the Service and the Terms and Conditions shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Delhi.

Miscellaneous:

The Terms and Conditions are in addition to and not in derogation to the Vistara’s terms and conditions as applicable to carriage by air or by other means of transportation including surface transportation of passengers and baggage as specified on the www.airvistara.com which terms & conditions shall also be applicable to the Service.

Credit Card issued outside India used to purchase the tickets will have to be produced at the time of check-in. If the holder of such Credit Card is not travelling, then the travelling person should possess the following:

• A photocopy of both sides of the Credit Card and the Identity card (Passport, Aadhaar etc.), which will have to be self-attested by the Credit Card holder, authorizing the use of the Credit Card for the purchase of the Ticket. For security reasons, Customers are advised to strike out the Credit Valid Verification (CVV) number on the copy of their Credit Card.
• This photocopy should also contain the name of the travelling party, date of travel and the sector of travel. These details can be handwritten on the photocopy and same must be attested by the Credit Card holder.

The above documents must be produced at the time of check-in. If the Customer fails to produce any of the documents or fails to comply with these Terms and Conditions, TSAL reserves the right to deny boarding.