People still search for a "Vistara dummy ticket" every week, and we understand why. Vistara was a popular full-service airline, its purple branding was everywhere, and many travellers remember it as their first choice for Delhi–Mumbai or a trip to Europe via a partner. But the airline no longer exists as a separate carrier. This page explains, using Air India's own merger FAQ, what happened, what became of Vistara flights and bookings, and what you should put in a visa file today if you were hoping for a Vistara itinerary. Short version: you want an Air India reservation, and our Air India dummy ticket guide covers that in full.
Vistara and Air India: key facts
| Question | What the official source says |
|---|---|
| When did Vistara stop flying? | Its last flight was on 11 November 2024. From 12 November 2024 its operations were transferred to and managed by Air India.[1] |
| What happened to Vistara flight numbers? | Former Vistara aircraft fly with a four-digit Air India code starting with 2; Air India's example is UK 955 Delhi–Mumbai becoming AI 2955.[1] |
| Can you still book on Vistara's website? | No. Air India says the Vistara website became unavailable from 12 November 2024 and bookings move to Air India's website or app.[1] When we typed airvistara.com on 3 October 2026, it redirected to airindia.com. |
| What happened to existing Vistara bookings? | Air India says they were transferred to its reservation system in the background, with revised details sent to passengers in advance.[1] |
| Where do you check a booking now? | Air India's Manage Booking page, with the booking reference (PNR) and last name.[2] |
| Club Vistara points | Moved to Air India's Maharaja Club at a 1:1 ratio, valid for at least one year from migration.[1] |
What happened to Vistara?
Vistara and Air India were combined into a single airline under the Air India name, in phases during 2024. The Tata group's own merger FAQ explains that ticket sales on selected routes began moving from Vistara to Air India from 3 September 2024, and that by 12 November 2024 all Vistara operations would be transferred to Air India.[5]
Air India's FAQ confirms the end point: Vistara operated its last flight on 11 November 2024, and from 12 November everything was transferred to and managed by Air India.[1] In other words, Vistara stopped being an airline you could book. The aircraft, many of the crew and much of the onboard product continued, but under Air India's name and flight numbers.
For anyone preparing a visa file, the consequence is simple. A booking can only be made with an airline that sells seats, and since November 2024 that airline is Air India. There is no separate Vistara inventory to hold a seat on.
How did UK flight numbers become AI 2XXX?
Vistara's airline code was UK. After the merger, Air India gave former Vistara flights a special four-digit flight number beginning with the digit 2. Air India's own example is UK 955, Delhi to Mumbai, which became AI 2955.[1] The FAQ says passengers can identify flights on the former Vistara fleet by that AI2XXX pattern.
This is useful when you search for an old route. Say you remember a UK-coded Vistara flight from Delhi and want the same trip again. Look for an Air India flight on that route, and if the schedule shows a four-digit number starting with 2, it is likely the former Vistara service. Schedules change, though, and we have not checked whether every former Vistara route still carries an AI 2 number in October 2026. Search airindia.com for the current timetable rather than relying on old flight numbers.
One more practical point. Air India's FAQ warns that the departure terminal could change after a booking moved from Vistara to Air India, and that Air India would communicate any such change.[1] If you're travelling on a former Vistara route, check the terminal on your latest itinerary, not on an old Vistara email.
What if you still have an old Vistara booking or PDF?
Air India says bookings with Vistara were moved to its reservation system in the background, with no need to rebook, and that revised details would be sent well in advance.[1] The FAQ also says Air India would try to keep the class you booked, since most Air India flights don't offer Premium Economy, and would tell you of any change.
Air India's FAQ doesn't say in plain words whether the booking reference stayed the same, so we won't claim it did. Use the most recent itinerary Air India sent you, and look it up on airindia.com with the reference and last name shown there.[2]
For visa purposes, an old Vistara PDF is of no use now. Any trip it describes has either already happened or was moved into Air India's system with new details. And here is a firm rule: if anyone offers you a "Vistara" reservation showing UK flight numbers for travel after 11 November 2024, it cannot be genuine, because no such flights exist. Don't put a document like that in a visa file.
Holders of a Vistara Purple Ticket Card can, according to Air India, redeem it on Air India's website for Air India flights and selected extras.[1]
What should you use for a visa file instead?
An Air India reservation on the route you will actually fly. If you liked Vistara for a particular route, check whether Air India now runs it, possibly with an AI 2 flight number. If it doesn't, choose whichever carrier fits the trip. Officers care about a realistic plan that matches your dates and other documents, not the brand.
Air India's public website doesn't offer a book-now-pay-later option, according to its payments FAQ.[3] It does offer free change or cancellation for 24 hours after booking direct, subject to terms.[4] Our Air India guide compares that with a held reservation in detail, including the fees Air India publishes.
What we supply is an Air India hold with a live PNR listing all travellers, emailed within about 10 minutes, at ₹699 a person in India. It is not a ticket. Air India determines its lifespan, which tops out at 2 weeks, so get it a day or two before the appointment.
Looking for a Vistara-style itinerary?
An Air India hold under a live PNR, sent in roughly 10 minutes. ₹699 each.
How do you check a former Vistara route booking on airindia.com?
Exactly as for any Air India booking. Vistara's own lookup is gone, so use Air India's.
- Open Air India's Manage Booking page, under Book & Manage on airindia.com.[2]
- Enter the booking reference (PNR) from your reservation or latest Air India itinerary.
- Enter the last name exactly as on the booking.
- Read the flight numbers. A four-digit number starting with 2 points to a former Vistara aircraft.[1]
- Check terminal, dates and names against your visa form, and save a dated screenshot.
If the lookup fails, check the surname spelling and order first. Don't try airvistara.com; it now redirects to Air India. Our verification guide covers other common problems.
What do visa checklists ask for, whatever the airline?
The merger changed the airline, not the visa rules. Here is what official pages say for the trips Vistara passengers most often took from India.
| Country | What the official page says | Will an Air India hold do? |
|---|---|---|
| Schengen (general) | File between half a year and 15 days out; expect an answer in about 15 days, occasionally more.[6] | Where the consulate's list asks for a reservation, yes. |
| Germany, from India | Tourism checklist item: "Flight reservation".[7] | Yes. |
| Netherlands | A reservation in the traveller's name; a paid ticket is not needed.[8] | Yes. |
| United Kingdom | Flight bookings are listed among documents of limited use for a standard visit.[9] | Optional. |
| United States | Wait for the visa before paying for flights.[10] | Useful for planning, not required. |
If a checklist uses the words "confirmed" or "paid" ticket, take them at face value. A held reservation may not satisfy that, and a flexible fare is the safer answer. For each Schengen consulate's wording, see the Schengen visa guide and flight reservation requirements by country.
What happened to Club Vistara points?
They were moved to Air India's loyalty programme. Air India's FAQ says Club Vistara accounts were migrated to Maharaja Club after 12 November 2024, with points and tier points transferred 1:1 and valid for at least one year from migration even if they were due to expire sooner.[1] Base, Silver, Gold and Platinum members were given Red, Silver, Gold and Platinum tiers respectively. Tata's 2024 FAQ calls the programme Flying Returns; Air India's current page uses the Maharaja Club name.[5]
Points don't affect a visa file, but people often ask us while planning a trip. If you want to use old Vistara points for your real ticket after the visa is granted, log in to Maharaja Club on airindia.com.
Who do you contact about a former Vistara trip?
Air India. Its FAQ says Vistara's customer channels became unavailable after 12 November 2024 and that passengers should use Air India's instead.[1] That covers everything from a schedule question to a refund on a booking that started life with Vistara.
Special assistance is worth a separate note. Air India says it will try to honour assistance requests made with Vistara, but it also says some services Vistara offered may not be available, and suggests speaking to its customer support for details.[1] If you or a family member relies on wheelchair help, a medical arrangement or a particular seat, confirm it with Air India well before the trip rather than assuming the old Vistara arrangement still stands.
None of this changes how a consulate reads your file. It does matter after the visa is granted, when you buy the real ticket and plan the day of travel. A short call or chat a fortnight before departure is cheap insurance, and it's far easier than sorting a problem at the airport counter.
What mistakes do we see with "Vistara" itineraries?
- UK flight numbers after November 2024. These flights don't exist, so a document showing them won't check out.
- Searching on airvistara.com. It redirects to Air India; use Air India's Manage Booking instead.
- Old terminals. Former Vistara bookings may have moved terminal. Check the latest itinerary.
- Insisting on the old brand. An officer doesn't need Vistara; they need a plan that matches your file.
- Calling a reservation a ticket. Describe it accurately on forms and in cover letters.
How to get an Air India reservation for your visa
On the booking form, give us the cities, the dates and each person's name as the passport prints it. Write "Air India" in the notes, and add "former Vistara route" if that is the flight you want; we'll tell you whether it can be held. Availability depends on the route and the day.
It's one charge per traveller for a single or return trip, and multi-stop plans are billed per two legs. Razorpay takes UPI, card and netbanking payments; follow the order on order tracking. See also dummy ticket price, flight reservation for visa, hotel booking for visa and onward ticket.
Please note: a reservation supports an application; the consulate decides it. We can't promise any visa outcome.
Vistara and Air India questions
Can I still get a Vistara dummy ticket?
No. Vistara's last flight was on 11 November 2024, and since then former Vistara aircraft have flown as Air India. There is no Vistara booking system to hold a seat in. What you can get is an Air India reservation, possibly on a former Vistara route with an AI 2 flight number, checked on airindia.com.
Is AI 2XXX the same as a Vistara flight?
Air India says flights on the former Vistara fleet carry a four-digit Air India number beginning with 2, for example AI 2955 replacing UK 955 between Delhi and Mumbai. They are Air India flights in every legal and booking sense. Check the current schedule, as routes and numbers can change.
Where do I check an old Vistara booking now?
On Air India's Manage Booking page. Air India says Vistara bookings were transferred to its reservation system with revised details sent to passengers. Use the reference and last name from the latest Air India itinerary you received. The Vistara website now redirects to Air India.
Will a consulate accept an Air India reservation instead of Vistara?
The airline doesn't matter to a consulate; the wording of its checklist does. Where a list asks for a flight reservation, as the German missions in India do, an Air India reservation fits like any other. If the list demands a paid fare instead, a hold may fall short.
What happened to my Club Vistara points?
According to Air India, Club Vistara accounts moved to Maharaja Club after 12 November 2024. Points transferred one for one and stay valid at least a year from migration. Tier status carried over to the matching Maharaja Club tier. Log in on airindia.com to see your balance.
Someone offered me a Vistara reservation for next month. Is it real?
Not if it shows Vistara UK flight numbers for travel after 11 November 2024, because those flights stopped. Don't submit it. A genuine reservation for a current trip will be with an operating airline and can be looked up on that airline's website with the booking reference and surname.
Sources
All sources last checked: October 2026.
- Air India, FAQs on Vistara–Air India merger.
- Air India, Manage Booking.
- Air India, Payment, Refund and Cancellation FAQ.
- Air India, Book direct with Air India.
- Tata group, Air India–Vistara merger FAQs.
- European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs, Applying for a Schengen visa.
- German Missions in India, Checklist for a Schengen visa for Tourism.
- Netherlands Worldwide, Checklist: applying for a Schengen visa for tourism.
- GOV.UK, Guide to supporting documents: visiting the UK.
- U.S. Department of State, Visitor Visa.
Related: Air India reservations · UK visa · US visa · Germany visa · onward ticket.