Air India Express has unveiled a limited-time excess baggage discount for passengers flying from the Middle East to India in early 2026, targeting one of the world’s busiest expatriate and VFR (visiting friends and relatives) corridors with sharply reduced rates on pre-booked extra luggage.

Branded around the promise to “carry more, stress less,” the initiative is expected to ease one of the biggest pain points for Gulf-based travellers returning home to India with gifts, personal effects and long-stay essentials.

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New Excess Baggage Offer Targets Gulf to India Rush

From January 2026, Air India Express is rolling out a special excess baggage promotion for customers travelling from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to multiple destinations across India.

The offer allows passengers to pre-book either 5 kg or 10 kg of additional checked baggage at heavily discounted flat rates, on top of their standard free baggage allowance.

It is positioned squarely at the large Indian diaspora in the Gulf, many of whom fly home with considerable luggage for extended stays or family obligations.

The promotion is valid for bookings made up to January 31, 2026, for travel between January 16 and March 10, 2026, covering the busy winter, school holiday and early spring travel windows.

According to information shared by the airline, bookings can be made via its website, mobile app and major travel agents, though availability is capacity-controlled and subject to booking flow rules.

The airline has also clarified that the discounted baggage add-ons must be purchased during the initial ticket booking process, not as a post-purchase add-on at a later date.

Air India Express, which brands itself as India’s first international value carrier, says the offer is available across its fare families, including Xpress Value, Xpress Lite, Xpress Flex and Xpress Biz.

This means both price-sensitive leisure travellers and those opting for more flexible or business-oriented fares can tap into the same promotional baggage slabs.

By aligning the offer with the peak demand period rather than lean months, the carrier appears to be prioritising goodwill and volume over purely opportunistic revenue.

Discounted Rates: How Much Will Travellers Save?

Under the new scheme, passengers departing the Gulf for India can buy extra baggage in fixed 5 kg and 10 kg bundles at notably low country-specific prices.

In Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman, customers pay 0.2 units of local currency for the bundle, while in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE the rates start at 2 units of local currency.

Although the airline has not publicly detailed the exact per-kilogram discount relative to standard excess baggage tariffs, the flat promotional rates are significantly lower than typical airport counter charges per kilo.

Ordinarily, excess baggage on routes between India and the Middle East attracts some of the highest charges in the network for weight-based tickets, and passengers paying at the airport often face steep last-minute costs.

By encouraging travellers to pre-book these discounted bundles, Air India Express is effectively undercutting its own airport rates in exchange for better predictability on loads and ancillary revenue.

For a family of four travelling home with additional gifts and personal effects, the total savings could be substantial compared with traditional pay-per-kilo models at check-in.

The promotion is particularly compelling for those flying on lighter base fares, such as Xpress Lite, which are designed with minimal or no checked baggage included by default.

For such customers, buying a 5 kg or 10 kg top-up at promotional rates can transform a strictly hand-baggage itinerary into a more forgiving allowance without eroding the benefit of a low headline fare.

Travel agents in the Gulf say they expect to package the offer heavily in their marketing, highlighting the combined value of lower fares and cheaper add-on baggage ahead of the spring travel season.

Why the Middle East to India Corridor Matters

The India – Middle East corridor remains one of the busiest and most competitive aviation markets globally, supported largely by labour migrants, expatriate professionals and their families.

Gulf-based Indian residents often travel with substantial luggage, particularly when returning home for extended breaks, weddings, religious holidays or school vacations.

Industry data shows that ancillary revenue from baggage, seat selection and meals forms a significant part of airlines’ income on these routes, given the prevalence of value and low-cost carriers.

For Air India Express, which has long maintained a strong presence in the Gulf with direct services to tier 1 and tier 2 Indian cities, tailoring offers to this segment is central to its commercial strategy.

The new excess baggage discount is timed to capture demand immediately after the New Year holidays, a period when many expatriates make medium-length trips back home.

It also arrives as airlines across the region compete aggressively on price and perks following a broad recovery in international travel demand.

Analysts note that baggage policy has become a key differentiator in the Gulf–India market. Some full-service carriers lure customers with higher free allowances, while value carriers tend to strip back inclusions in exchange for lower base fares.

By offering a temporary but generous discount on additional bags, Air India Express is attempting to position itself as a hybrid value player: keeping fares sharp while showing flexibility on a high-sensitivity item for its core market.

Aligning With Broader Network and Ancillary Strategy

The excess baggage initiative does not exist in isolation. It follows closely on the heels of Air India Express’ regular “PayDay Sale” fare promotions, which span both domestic and international routes, including Gulf sectors.

Those sales, which run around the turn of each month, feature sharply discounted tickets and, in some cases, reduced charges for optional add-ons.

Together with the new baggage campaign, they signal a coordinated push to lock in bookings months ahead and fill capacity at a time when competition from other Indian and Gulf carriers remains intense.

Within the broader Air India Group, baggage and ancillary products are increasingly important levers for revenue optimisation.

While full-service operations continue to include more generous standard allowances, the group’s value-focused arm is being used to experiment with unbundled fare families, dynamic fees and segment-specific campaigns.

The Middle East to India discount, targeted by geography and travel window, fits this emerging pattern of granular, data-driven marketing rather than blanket systemwide offers.

There is also an operational dimension. Pre-booked excess baggage gives the airline better visibility on expected load factors in the hold, enabling more accurate fuel planning and cargo capacity management.

For routes that often carry dense passenger loads and a high volume of personal baggage, advance knowledge of extra weight can reduce stress on airport teams and mitigate delays caused by last-minute weight-and-balance adjustments at the gate.

What Passengers Need to Know Before Booking

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While the promotion headline focuses on discounted charges, passengers are being advised to pay close attention to terms and conditions.

The offer applies only to flights originating in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE and terminating in India within the specified travel window.

The additional 5 kg and 10 kg bundles must be purchased in advance at the time of booking and cannot be added retrospectively once the ticket has been issued, nor at the airport counter at the promotional price.

Travellers are also reminded that standard airline rules still apply regarding maximum weight per individual bag, usually capped at 32 kg for safety reasons, even if the cumulative allowance under the promotion would permit a higher overall total.

Similarly, oversize baggage and special items such as musical instruments, sports gear or bulky equipment may incur separate handling fees regardless of the discounted bundles.

Customers are encouraged to check their individual booking confirmation and fare rules to ensure compliance.

In addition, the promotional baggage is non-transferable and typically non-refundable if the passenger later reduces their bags, changes travel dates to outside the eligible period, or downgrades to a lighter cabin or fare class that is incompatible with the purchased bundle.

Name or date changes may be allowed under standard fare rules, but the discount itself is tied to the original booking parameters. For passengers relying on these offers for major trips, carefully reviewing the fine print before clicking “confirm” remains essential.

Potential Impact on Competition and Fares

The launch of this excess baggage discount is likely to prompt a response from rival carriers serving the Gulf–India sector, including both regional low-cost operators and full-service airlines that rely heavily on this traffic.

Some may seek to match or partially mirror the offer with their own promotions, while others could opt to highlight existing higher free allowances instead.

For travellers, this competitive dynamic could mean a series of overlapping sales and targeted campaigns in the first quarter of 2026, especially around school holidays and long weekends.

From a pricing perspective, industry observers see the Air India Express move as another step toward unbundled but highly customisable travel. Rather than raising base fares to absorb higher baggage demands, airlines are increasingly slicing the journey into discrete, purchasable components that can be discounted, cross-sold or dynamically priced.

For passengers who travel light, this can result in lower all-in costs. For those who routinely carry multiple bags, carefully selected promotions like the new Gulf–India discount can offset what would otherwise be prohibitive charges.

However, the reliance on limited-time offers also introduces uncertainty for customers planning trips many months in advance. Some may delay booking in the hope of catching the next promotion, while others will pay full price if their preferred dates fall outside the windows.

Regulators and consumer advocates will likely watch how clearly airlines disclose the true cost of travel when ancillary fees and temporary discounts play such a central role in the overall price picture.

What This Means for Gulf-Based Indian Communities

For millions of Indian nationals living and working in the Gulf, baggage allowances are not merely an ancillary detail but a central part of travel planning.

Trips home often revolve around major life events: weddings, festivals, medical visits, home renovations and educational milestones. Extra luggage allows families to transport gifts, electronics, clothing, non-perishable food and other items that can be expensive or hard to source locally.

Even modest savings on extra baggage can therefore have a meaningful impact on household budgets.

Community leaders and travel agents in Gulf hubs such as Dubai, Doha, Riyadh and Muscat have welcomed the Air India Express offer as a tangible acknowledgment of this reality.

By pricing the bundles in local currencies at simple, rounded levels, the airline has also removed some of the confusion that surrounds per-kilo charges, currency conversions and last-minute airport decisions.

For first-time flyers, seasonal workers and elderly travellers, this simplicity may prove just as valuable as the raw financial discount.

The initiative could also influence travel patterns. Some passengers who would otherwise have postponed trips or opted for surface shipping of goods may now decide to fly with an extra suitcase or two, confident that the cost is manageable and clearly defined before they leave home.

For India’s tourism and retail sectors, particularly in cities with strong Gulf links, any incremental increase in visitor numbers and spending linked to more generous baggage options will be closely watched.

FAQ

Q1. What exactly is the new Air India Express excess baggage offer for Middle East to India travellers in 2026?
Air India Express has introduced a limited-period promotion allowing passengers flying from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE to India to pre-book additional checked baggage in bundles of 5 kg or 10 kg at specially discounted flat rates, over and above their standard free baggage allowance.

Q2. During which dates is this excess baggage discount valid?
The offer applies to travel from January 16 to March 10, 2026, provided the ticket and the promotional baggage bundle are booked on or before January 31, 2026, and subject to availability on eligible flights.

Q3. From which Middle Eastern countries can passengers access this promotion?
The discount is available to guests departing from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Air India Express flights bound for destinations across India within the specified travel period.

Q4. How much extra baggage can I buy and at what price?
Passengers can purchase additional check-in baggage in fixed lots of 5 kg or 10 kg. Promotional rates are set in local currencies, with bundles starting around 0.2 units in Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman, and 2 units in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with exact amounts displayed during the booking process.

Q5. Can I add the discounted excess baggage after I have already booked my ticket?
No. According to the airline’s conditions, the special rates are only available during the booking flow itself. Once the ticket is issued, any additional baggage added later will be charged at standard pre-paid or airport excess baggage rates, not at the promotional discount.

Q6. Which fare types are eligible for this excess baggage discount?
The promotion is available across all Air India Express fare families, including Xpress Value, Xpress Lite, Xpress Flex and Xpress Biz, provided the journey starts in one of the eligible Middle Eastern countries and falls within the valid travel dates.

Q7. Do standard baggage rules, such as maximum weight per bag, still apply?
Yes. Even when using the discounted offer, each individual checked bag must still comply with the airline’s standard limits on maximum weight and size, typically up to 32 kg per piece and within the published dimension limits. Oversize or special items may incur separate fees.

Q8. Is the promotional baggage refundable if I change my plans?
In most cases, promotional excess baggage bundles are non-refundable and tied to the original booking. If you cancel your trip, change dates outside the promo window or alter your itinerary in ways that make the bundle ineligible, you may forfeit the discounted amount, subject to the fare conditions.

Q9. How do I know if my flight qualifies for the offer?
When booking through the airline’s website, app or authorised agents, eligible flights and dates will display the option to add 5 kg or 10 kg discounted baggage in the booking flow. If you do not see the promotional bundles, your chosen route, travel date or point of origin may fall outside the offer’s scope.

Q10. Why is Air India Express focusing this discount specifically on Middle East to India routes?
The Middle East to India corridor carries a large Indian expatriate population that typically travels with substantial luggage for family visits and extended stays. By offering a targeted excess baggage discount on these routes, the airline aims to address a key pain point for its core customer base while strengthening its competitive position in one of its most important markets.