Generally we all have alot to say about the Government Carrier the" Air India" , but how different are the private air line? Does the Private airlines ( especially the low cost ones) feel that they are doing a favour to its passengers by flying them cheap? At least that’s the feeling they give you in generous measure. Please read the following experience of mine with an Indigo check-in counter staff in Chennai.
To start with my wife and myself had booked for the Indigo Flight from Chennai to Hyderabab on the 30th of September 2012 afternoon After the check -in, but before the security check, I received a call from my Clinic, that my presence was required in Chennai for that day and wanted me to return to the clinic asap.So my wife continued her journey and I approached the airline staff in the checking counter and reported my in ability to travel by that flight . The ground staff agreed to off load me and since I did not have any check in luggage their task was made that much more easy.
So far so good .Now starts my tryst with Indigo Airline , since I had to surrender the boarding pass , due to my request for off loading I had requested the airline for some sort of acknowledgement for not having performed the travel on that particular flight, I had also made my self amply clear that I was aware that I would not be eligible for any sort of refund from the airline. And this request was being made for my audit purpose and IT filing.
But this arrogant staff would not see the reason for the request . She was not only being very curt in denying this request she also took it very personal and refused to guide me up to the CISF security personnel to acknowledge my status as an off loaded passenger.
As is our Indian nature to pursue for some thing that is so mundane I had to relentlessly advocate for myself and make the Indigo airline staff see the reason for my request. But this staff was way too arrogant that when I said that I need this acknowledgement even to walk out side due to security reason , she completely misunderstood me and started defying more, by saying that " let me see how you leave the airport" . My simple request for an acknowledgment of non performance of journey was turning out to be an Ego trip for this airline staff .
On seeing the futility, I decided good riddance to all this argument and started to move towards the exit and that’s when my wost fear came true. When I reached the exit gate of the departure terminal , the security wouldn’t let me out , as I neither had any documentation supporting my status of being an off loaded passenger nor was an airline staffer accompanying me to vouch for my status as an off loaded passenger.Thanks to this particular airline staff none of her other colleagues would also come to my help.
After spending some helpless moments and fuming within I had to approach the airport manager of the Airports Authorityof India, Chennai , who was kind enough to put me through to an official of the Indigo airline , who in turn asked me to meet the duty manager at the Indigo Counter who ultimately issued the acknowledgement for non travel in no time .
A simple matter which could have been solved either by heeding to the passenger’s request by seeing the reason behind it, or by escalating the request to the next level in the chain of command had been prolonged for close to an hour causing unnecessary agony. Ultimately the airline did give me what I wanted but after a lot of bad taste which could have been certainly avoided. This was my experience with Indigo where a check in staff could take its passenger hostage not in mid air but right at ground level and in broad day light. For an hour , I was made to run from check in counter to CISF security to AAI manager to Duty manager of Indigo Airline for a simple sheet of paper to acknowledge that I have not performed my journey.
Courtesy demands that I don’t mention name of the staff , since I don’t want to put her in trouble.The purpose of posting this review is 1) to inform helpless passengers that they are entitled to get an acknowledgement in case they have not performed the journey. 2) In case this particular staff who has been mentioned reads this note, ( I am sure she will recollect the incident) my request to her not behave the same way to others.