Air India and Tata Communications have launched EasyRoam, an Air India-branded travel SIM offering international roaming services, the two companies said in a press release on Thursday.

EasyRoam is sold as an add-on product, either as a physical SIM or an eSIM, through a dedicated Air India-branded webpage. It gives Air India customers voice and data services while travelling abroad, the release said.

In the initial rollout phase, the SIM itself is free, but roaming pack charges apply. Packs are available for 30 countries across North America, Europe (including the UK), Australia, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East, starting from INR 241 excluding taxes. Prices vary by destination and plan.

Customers who buy a data plan can receive up to 1GB of additional complimentary data, applicable in all covered countries except the Maldives and Mauritius, according to the release.

Coverage will be expanded progressively to up to 190 countries. Customers can choose destination-specific or worldwide plans, with data-only or voice-plus-data options.

Vivek Manglik, Executive Vice President for Interaction Fabric at Tata Communications, said the collaboration brings connectivity to the booking journey. “Today’s travellers expect travel experience to be seamless, instant and secure,” he said. He added that customers can choose and activate a mobile plan before departure and go online on arrival.

Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer of Air India, said travellers increasingly live, work and socialise across borders and expect uninterrupted access to digital services. He said EasyRoam allows customers to stay connected “without the hassle of arranging for connectivity after arrival,” and described it as another step towards a more seamless, digitally enabled travel experience.

The release said travellers will receive notifications and alerts to monitor data use and manage costs abroad. Customers can keep their number for up to a year at a nominal cost. Tata Communications said its partnerships with more than 600 mobile network operators allow access to a range of destination-specific plans.

EasyRoam is currently sold through the Air India website and will later be offered through the Air India mobile app, the release said.

The release did not state the “nominal cost” for keeping a number, the duration of the free-SIM offer, or the full list of 30 countries.

Source: PR