Effective from next month, Jet Airways will take over operations of 63 domestic flights currently flown by its all economy no-frills version, JetKonnect. Travel agents state that this move will see fares increase by 12-15 per cent as presently JetKonnect is a low fare offering from Jet Airways. According to a report in The Hindu Business Line, airline officials said that the fares will be no higher than what is charged by Jet Airways at present. In a communication sent out to the travel trade, Jet Airways has said it will convert 63 JetKonnect flights to full service flights from October 1, 2010 till February 28, 2011. The airline indicated that the change in flights will also be in place from April 16, 2011 to June 30, 2011.

As per sources, the latest proposed changes are being made to meet the increase in traffic demand during the forthcoming winter season and increased patterns in demand thereafter. Jet Airways, which is a Full Service Carrier (FSC), offering seating in Business and Economy Class, as well as complementary food on all its domestic flights, was in 2009 forced to shift almost half of the daily flights operated to a single class no-frill airline under the JetKonnect brand.

The fares of JetKonnect are lower than Jet Airways and passengers have to pay for the food they consume on JetKonnect flights. The latest proposed changes will mean that a passenger travelling between Delhi and Chennai will have the option of travelling on a FSC on four of the six flights operated by it between the two cities instead of one at present. From next month, both the flights operated between Delhi and Pune will be operated on the FSC, instead of one at present. Similarly, the Chennai-Port Blair service will be with a FSC instead of a JetKonnect flight being operated at present, while one of the two flights between Chennai and Kolkata will also offer full services. In 2009, almost half of the 400 flights operated by Jet Airways had only Economy Class seating.