I took a round trip from Delhi to Goa with my mother recently by SpiceJet. I booked flight tickets online. We do not travel very often, so I wanted to make sure that I sit next to my mother and had a window seat. For this, while booking online, I chose two seats together and next to window. For this I was charged extra which I didn’t mind paying. I had chosen seat no. 17E and 17F for the flights and the same were allotted to me immediately.
While I was still in Delhi, I got a sms from Spice saying my flight back from Goa to Delhi had been preponed to 1.45 pm. I was surprised to receive such a sms as at the time of booking, I had chosen the same time flight. So where was the question of prepone?
Anyways, the day I had to leave for Goa, I checked SpiceJet’s website to see if there were any changes and the flight was delayed by 45 minutes, I think. So, SpiceJet will send a sms to tell that a flight has been preponed(when it hasn’t), but will not send a sms to say the flight has delayed(when It actually has).
Praising myself for being net savvy, we reached airport accordingly. At the boarding pass counter, we were greeted by a cheerful attendant. I was given boarding pass and our baggage was taken. But it was only later on I realized that I had not been given seats that I had chosen and paid extra for. Instead, I had been given 13D & E. So, no window seat. Just before getting in the SpiceJet bus, when I informed this to another SpiceJet attendant, he immediately wrote on my flight information printout’Rs 100 to be refunded at Goa Airport for non-receipt of facility that has been paid for.’ I was impressed but not happy.
When I told air hostess about this, she said she would tell me if a window seat was available once the plane takes off. But she never did. I myself found 3 empty seats in a row only when last 15 minutes journey to Goa was left. So, it was nice to have a view of the Arabian sea in the end.
Otherwise the flight was smooth, with a little turbulence once or twice. I was so happy to reach Goa that I didn’t bother myself with the refund mess.
After a lovely stay in Goa, while flying back to Delhi, this time I made double sure that I get those seats that had been allotted to me at the time of booking. When I showed refund request I was given their call center phone no., which I never tried.
Again the flight back was smooth with cheerful crew members. So I should be more happy with smooth flights too and fro. It is just that, I feel when you charge for a service, you must provide it, no matter how petty the charge has been. For the people who travel rarely, every little service counts!
Nevertheless, I will choose SpiceJet again as otherwise overall experience was not bad.