IndiGo - Friendly Skies of the Future

Imagine…An airline that merges JetBlue’s efficient minimalism with Virgin Atlantic’s sexy swagger. An airline that delivers punctual clean travel - in style.  It is time to trade in your frequent flyer miles because IndiGo is coming.

IndiGo is India’s rapidly growing domestic carrier. This past weekend, Sasha and I took a short trip to Jaipur on IndiGo and the impeccable flight experience left a lasting impression.

Let’s start with IndiGo’s airplanes. Simple. Blue. Clean. There wasn’t a scrap of dirt on IndiGo’s plane.  When was the last time you flew on a clean domestic airplane? I could almost see the mold growing off my last United flight from SFO.

Yes, IndiGo passengers have to pay out of pocket for all food and beverages (except tap water). But, who actually cares. We all can live without another can of soda or bag of fried food. Many passengers bought tasty paneer tikka sandwiches in the airport before the flight anyway.

The flight attendants are my favorite part of the IndiGo experience. These young professionals are friendly, smart and attractive - reminiscent of turn of the century “stewardesses.” Incase you were curious how these ladies style those perfectly glossed bobs…they are wigs.  It turns out that the faux Sexy Spice inspired hair-do is an alternative to creating a slick back modern bun with one’s own hair. All ladies look the same from head to toe including nail polish, lipstick, eye make-up, shoes, tights and earrings.  Ikea of the skies supports modular replicable design.  

Full time employees reflect the intensive application process, including a full-length photo and a 100 word essay in English about why the prospective “Miss IndiGo” wants to join the company.

I am personally indebted to the Miss IndiGo team on my return flight to Bangalore last night. Mid-flight, I fell terribly ill. Between my laps to the bathroom, the ladies in blue let me rest in the aft galley and offered tips about what types of Indian food to eat after an upset stomach.  The airline barf bag even looked good after a trip to the emergency room.

IndiGo Airlines exemplifies the country’s potential to leapfrog other nations. IndiGo surpasses first world quality with developing world prices. Indian customers keep coming back for more. I’m already looking forward to next weekend’s flight to Mumbai.