Airtel Discontinues Rs 299 Rs 579 Rs 619 and Rs 649 Prepaid Plans

Airtel has removed four prepaid plans priced at Rs 299, Rs 579, Rs 619 and Rs 649 from its website and Airtel Thanks app. The Rs 299 plan is replaced by the Rs 349 recharge, while the Rs 859 plan has reportedly increased to Rs 899.

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Airtel has been making subtle changes to its prepaid recharge pack range in India, and the latest move could have an impact on users seeking affordable recharge plans. As per reports, the company has stopped providing four prepaid packs available at Rs 299, Rs 579, Rs 619, and Rs 649. The packs seem to be absent from the Airtel website and the Airtel Thanks mobile app as the company slowly begins to streamline its prepaid packs range.

The changes came to light after tipsters on X brought to notice the changes. Although there hasn't been any announcement about a hike in tariffs in all the prepaid plans from Airtel, there seems to be a reduction in choice for users at certain price points.

Airtel Rs 299 Prepaid Plan Discontinued

Of all the discontinued Airtel recharge plans, the Rs 299 plan can be said to hold the greatest importance for users who have a tight budget. This plan provided 1.5 GB daily data, unlimited voice calls and SMS offers with validity period of 28 days. It can be said to be among the most economical plans of Airtel for users wanting a traditional monthly plan with daily data.

The discontinuation of the Rs 299 recharge plan from Airtel means that the company has shifted its lower cost daily-data plan to the Rs 349 plan. The Rs 349 recharge plan provides 2 GB daily data, unlimited calls and validity of 28 days. Though there is an extra provision of 500 MB daily data, the users now have to pay Rs 50 extra for the recharge plan.

This can be considered to be a rise of nearly 17% over the earlier Rs 299 recharge plan. Over a period of a year for regular recharges, the change in pricing would surely show its effect. On the other hand, the daily data capacity in the Rs 349 recharge plan makes its value different from its price.

Rs 579 Rs 619 and Rs 649 Plans Also Removed

Airtel has also discontinued the Rs 579, Rs 619 and Rs 649 packs from its range of plans. The packs were targeted towards people looking for more validity as compared to the regular 28-day recharge pack, but were not interested in committing themselves to an annual package.

Strangely enough, the existence of such packs had already been inconsistent within various telecom circles over the past few weeks. It means that Airtel might have started phasing out these packs in a phased manner instead of discontinuing all of them at once.

As far as the discontinuation of these packs is concerned, the choice for customers looking for a balance between cost and validity might have become limited now. So, customers opting for any of the above packages should look out for the latest available pack from Airtel's Thanks app.

Airtel Rs 859 Plan Gets a Price Increase

The changes seem to go beyond just the cancellation of plans. Based on some reports, there is a hike in the Rs 859 plan to Rs 899, without any change in the benefits.

In effect, this is a hike by Rs 40 with no change in the benefits of the plan. Along with the cancellation of some other plans, this latest move suggests that Airtel is working towards reorganizing its prepaid range.

There have also been reports regarding further cancellations of plans, although the availability is dependent on telecom circles. This implies that for Airtel consumers, the range of available plans varies based on location.

Airtel Rs 349 Plan Becomes More Important

Since the Rs 299 plan is no more, the importance of Rs 349 is increasing in the Indian telecommunication industry. The plan from Airtel is available at Rs 349 and provides the customer with 2GB of daily data with unlimited calling facility and 28 days validity.

Intriguingly, there is an offer at Rs 349 from Reliance Jio as well, which includes 2GB of daily data with unlimited calling facility for 28 days of validity. There are similar offers from Vodafone Idea at around Rs 349 and Rs 365.

This shows the competitive nature of the Rs 349 bracket, where users can compare similar 28 days' plans from Indian telecommunication operators before choosing any of them for recharging.

Airtel Rs 199 Plan Remains the Lower-Cost Option

For those customers who want to pay under Rs 349, Airtel still offers a recharge plan of Rs 199. But, it cannot be considered as a substitute for the discontinued Rs 299 plan as it does not offer any daily data.

Rather, it offers the advantage of offering 2GB data in lump sum to its customers. It becomes more appropriate for the customers who don't use too much of mobile data or who prefer Wi-Fi for browsing.

Those customers who use their mobile data for watching videos, social media browsing or GPS services need daily data plans such as Rs 349 recharge.

Is Airtel Preparing for a Major Tariff Hike?

These most recent developments might bring up a number of speculations on whether Airtel is gearing itself for yet another tariff increase. There have been rumors indicating that Airtel, Jio, and Vodafone Idea might consider a tariff hike in the region of 12 to 15 percent, but these latest changes do not necessarily imply such an increase on an industry level.

So far, it seems to be more appropriate to regard these changes as an alteration of Airtel's portfolio of prepaid options rather than as an impending blanket tariff hike. Airtel can still keep altering its plans, pricing and benefits packages as it streamlines its recharge offerings.

As to customers, it seems to become evident from the lower side of Airtel's recharge portfolio already. Users that used to benefit from Rs 299 recharge offering daily data will now have to pay more for a similar daily-data plan.

What Airtel Users Should Do Now

In case you are currently using the Rs 299, Rs 579, Rs 619 or Rs 649 Airtel prepaid plans, it is advisable for you to take a look at the Airtel Thanks app before doing your next recharge. Do not take it for granted that the same plan will continue being offered once your current validity ends.

Those who are looking for a lower-end plan which will offer them unlimited calls along with daily internet, the best bet is currently the Rs 349 plan. For those who use very little mobile data, there is the option of taking the Rs 199 plan, but those requiring longer validity will have to choose a higher recharge.

The latest prepaid plans from Airtel just reflect the rapid changes in recharge portfolio of telecom companies. Given the increasing trend of altering prices, offers and validity periods by telecom operators, it is best to check out the latest plans before doing any recharge.