Airtel Joins IR Battle: Free Roaming with Postpaid Plans!

The battle for international roaming (IR) dominance has heated up! Days after Vi announced its innovative bundling of IR packs, Bharti Airtel has responded decisively, integrating international roaming benefits with all its postpaid plans. This strategic move covers both individual and family postpaid plans, aiming to make global connectivity more accessible and affordable for its users.

Airtel's new offering brings significant value, particularly for family plans.

Each member on a family postpaid plan is eligible for one complimentary International Roaming pack per year.

This pack includes 5GB of data, 60 minutes of calls, 25 outgoing SMS, and free incoming SMS, all valid for 5 days.

Users can activate this benefit once every year through the 'Rewards' section in the Airtel app, with availability starting October 8. While existing IR plans (such as ₹2,999 for 10 days, ₹3,999 for 30 days, and ₹5,999 for 90 days) will continue to be available, the new bundled option adds a fresh layer of value.

The ₹499 individual plan, along with family plans like ₹749 (two connections), ₹1049 (three connections), ₹1,249 (four connections), ₹1,449 (also four connections), and ₹1,799 (five connections), will now include one free IR pack annually for every connection on the bill plan. To accommodate this enhanced offering, Airtel has slightly adjusted its postpaid tariff plans.

The new bundled plans will be priced ₹50 per month higher than their non-IR counterparts. For instance, a user previously on a ₹449 plan would upgrade to the ₹499 plan, or a ₹1,199 plan to a ₹1,249 plan. For frequent travelers on family plans, the benefit is substantial, as each member can utilize an IR plan for an effective additional cost of only ₹600 per year (₹50 x 12 months for the base plan).

Amit Tripathi, Director, Market Operations, Bharti Airtel, emphasized the company's commitment to providing a best-in-class experience, including a superior network, Fast Lane technology on 5G, spam/fraud protection, and now, free international roaming. He stated,

We are determined to constantly raising the game for customers and give them more and more reasons to choose Airtel Postpaid.

This aggressive play by Airtel follows Vi's earlier announcement to “disrupt travel with free international roaming,” promising savings of up to ₹9,000 per year through its prepaid and postpaid offerings.

The move signals a new competitive front in the Indian telecom sector, where telcos are increasingly looking to differentiate their services beyond just call and data tariffs, focusing on premium add-ons like international roaming. #AirtelIR #InternationalRoaming #TelecomWars #TravelSmart