Airtel is quietly making its prepaid portfolio a little less friendly to budget-conscious users. The telecom operator has withdrawn four prepaid plans priced at Rs 299, Rs 579, Rs 619 and Rs 649, with the packs disappearing from its website and Airtel Thanks app. The changes were reported by tipsters on X today and appear to be part of a broader reshuffling of Airtel’s recharge lineup.
Rs 299, Rs 579, Rs 619 and Rs 649 Airtel prepaid plans gone
The Rs 299 plan is the most significant removal. It offered 1.5GB of daily data, unlimited calls and SMS benefits for 28 days, making it one of Airtel’s more affordable monthly options. It has now been replaced at the lower end by the Rs 349 plan, which offers 2GB of data per day for 28 days.
That means Airtel users who previously spent Rs 299 every month now have to pay Rs 50 more for a comparable daily-data plan. The increase works out to around 17 percent, although the Rs 349 pack also comes with more daily data.
The Rs 579, Rs 619 and Rs 649 plans catered to users looking for longer validity without moving to an annual recharge. Their availability has also been inconsistent across circles in recent weeks, suggesting Airtel may be rolling out the changes in stages rather than applying every removal uniformly.
Airtel has also raised the price of the Rs 859 plan to Rs 899 without changing its benefits, according to reports. Other reports have flagged additional plan removals, so the company’s prepaid lineup could see further changes.
The Rs 349 price point is becoming increasingly important across telecom operators. Jio currently offers a Rs 349 plan with unlimited voice calls, 2GB daily data and 28 days of validity, while Vi lists Rs 349 and Rs 365 options with 1.5GB daily data for the former and up to 2GB daily data for the latter, both keeping a uniform 28-day validity.
If you currently use one of the discontinued plans, check the Airtel Thanks app before your next recharge rather than assuming the same pack will return. Users who need daily data and unlimited calling will likely have to move to Rs 349 or a higher-priced option. Airtel’s entry point is a Rs 199 option, but that only offers 2GB of bulk data for the full duration.
There is also no confirmed industry-wide tariff hike yet. Reports have pointed to possible 12-15 percent increases from Airtel, Jio and Vodafone Idea, but the latest changes should not be treated as proof of an imminent blanket hike.
