Should You Buy That Cheap IndiGo Airlines Ticket?

I grew up visiting family in India, and if there's one thing I've learned about traveling in India it's this: Getting to India is expensive, but getting around India isn't. From rickshaws to taxis to domestic flights, transport in India is very reasonably priced. As most travelers know, the cheapest options are also sometimes the ones that leave you stranded at an airport overnight. But that's not always true — and there are plenty of budget options that get the job done without overcharging you. So how does IndiGo airlines, India's budget airline stack up?

First, some background on IndiGo airlines, India's go-to budget airline: IndiGo is headquartered near New Delhi in Gurgaon. Not only do they offer affordable flight prices, but they have pricing tiers to suit each type of traveler. Reserving a "flexi" ticket allows you to make "unlimited modifications to your booking." You can also opt for "lite fare," which means you'll pay less if you're just traveling with a "hand bag." (If you don't choose "lite fare," IndiGo airlines baggage allowance is one checked bag.)

Not only does IndiGo offer flights to domestic Indian destinations like Jaipur, also known as the "Pink City," but they fly to plenty of other sought-after Asian destinations like the Maldives, Thailand, and Singapore.

If you're planning an Asia trip and India is your starting point, IndiGo can help you see the expansive country, as well as nearby destinations that are high on your travel list. (After all, the Maldives is just a three-hour flight from Mumbai.) We read countless IndiGo airlines reviews so we could answer any questions you might have about that IndiGo ticket you're considering.

Here’s what the IndiGo airlines reviews are saying:

If you're hoping for a great price and a dependable flight to far-flung and stunning destinations, you're in luck. This isn't a first-class or luxury airline, but travelers tend to be reasonably pleased. On TripAdvisor, Primestop said IndiGo was dependable and efficient — especially for the price.

"I took two flights in a day with IndiGo," wrote Primestop. "Both flights were on time leaving, on time arriving, comfortable in Economy with reasonable leg room, the staff were efficient but not pushing to get extra sales from drinks and food although it was there if you wanted it. For the cheap price, this was an impressive experience."

Another TripAdvisor review from Northste said that when you purchase an IndiGo ticket, you're getting exactly what you'd expect for the price.

"No thrills, no spills. You get what you pay for," wrote Northste. The TripAdvisor user said they experienced a slightly late departure, but their luggage arrived just fine.

Abraham T reported that the aircraft was clean and the staff was helpful. "Flight was on time, smooth check in, baggage arrival was quick, aircraft was clean, and the staff were helpful and courteous," he said on TripAdvisor.

FoodyFoodFood specifically mentioned on TripAdvisor that they found their IndiGo experience to be better than flying on a North American budget airline. FoodyFoodFood wrote, "Overall you get solid (and for us, on time) service at a very low price with only a seat selection fee for some aisle and exit row seats; definitely very different than the Spirit and Frontier low cost business models in North America where add on fees for seats, checked and carry on baggage can quickly eat into any lower fare savings."

Is there entertainment and food on board IndiGo airlines?

It seems like most IndiGo flights are BYOE — bring your own entertainment. It's a no-frills airline, which means there won't be an endless supply of movies and music choices. The solution: Travel with a book, a magazine, or a laptop with pre-downloaded movies.

"As far as in-flight entertainment is concerned, they don't have seat back TVs. Indigo provides an in-flight magazine, Hello 6E, which has minimal content to read," Abhishek Panicker wrote on Quora.

According to Panicker, you'll have to bring your own snacks, too, though there's also in-flight food available for purchase. "The passengers have to pay for their food on-board. No free foods are served in Indigo," he wrote.

FoodyFoodFood compared IndiGo to a flight on Southwest. "Like Southwest, soft drinks are complimentary but unlike Southwest there are food for purchase options. Indigo does a much better job of getting through the cabin for service compared to Jet Airways [which] is more of a full service airline (think American, Delta, or United). Flight attendants were friendly, helpful, and efficient," they said.

How is IndiGo airlines’ check-in process?

"To save the passengers from the long queue of the airports, IndiGo allows them [to enjoy] web check-in facility. Travelers can check-in through web at any time within 2 hours prior to the scheduled departure of their international flights and 1 hour prior to the departure of the domestic flights," reported Ease My Trip.

FoodyFoodFood also provided context, explaining that the boarding process is fairly quick. "Boarding starts early and ends early with no more than 5 minutes between 'now boarding' and the 'final boarding' calls. Customers line up without a lot of pushing and shoving for a very orderly boarding process ... since bags can be checked there is not much concern about sufficient space for carry on bags which removes a lot of tension."

What is IndiGo airlines baggage policy?

According to Seat Guru, "IndiGo's web check-in allows you to check-in 2 to 48 hours before your flight departs. No checked baggage is allowed when using web check-in. Passengers may bring one piece of carry-on baggage."

FoodyFoodFood added that there are weight specifications for the checked bags. "Checked baggage is limited to 15kg. (33lbs.) before baggage fees kick in ... [the fees are] about Rs400 per kilogram. This is similar to most other Indian airlines with the exception of Air India that offers 25kg. of free checked baggage."