AIRINDIA LIMITED Your post merger experience with Vistara - TATA SIA Airlines Ltd. has been extremely traumatizing. With the merger, it was a given that the food and hospitality will take a back seat but what I absolutely did not fathom is that the airport experience will go to hoots. I had an early morning flight scheduled to New Delhi from Bengaluru on 11/23 at 5:45 AM Business Class. I was at the security checkin when I started getting the reminder call from your airport staff. I immediately called on the number as I was unable to pick your call. However your staff did not answer. By the time I reached the gate, the gate was closed. Post which started the negative ordeal. The staff wasn’t clear on the protocol of paying the difference and getting the next flight. Something so seamlessly managed by IndiGo (InterGlobe Aviation Ltd). After I mentioned to the staff that I know about this protocol, they reluctantly offered to help me with next flight scheduled at 6:50 AM. Then I was told that because my flight was booked with a voucher that was issued by my bank Axis Bank, I will have to pay the full amount as your systems aren’t "designed" to check fares in such cases. Instead of your staff checking about the rules directly with your head sitting at the Air India counter, they chose to send me back to the counter under the pretext that they have informed Ms. Daisy about the system issue and she would help me. Its really strange that you are unable to coordinate such things directly among each other and are sending customers under the false pretext of help. Your staff moved me past the security check and left me looking for Ms. Daisy(voilating the airport rule). You should either help me outside the airport or be with me till the process is completed. After checking with your Air India officials and meeting Ms. Daisy, I was amazed to find that your staff had lied to me at the gates. They did not call her to apprise of the situation. She too was surprised on the need for sending the passenger to the airport counter over something that could have been coordinated over a call. Again it was the same answer that she could not help me as for tickets booked with vouchers they are unable to check fare difference. All this process took so long that I could not board the 6:50 or the 8 AM flights too. It was surprising to see Air India officials referring to themselves as "She is from Vistara, she will help you". Your team works in total anarchy. So much so that I chose to go to T1 and board a 10:45 AM flight v/s an Air India Express scheduled at T2 at a lower rate. Clearly you have tarnished Brand Vistara for a customer who is in your Gold Tier. Please help me with the below :
Refund of the taxes which as a norm should have been issued immediately after you marked me as No Show at Gate.
Why can’t customers pay fare difference on missing the flight booked via vouchers. Technically the voucher isnt a free seat. Either the bank pays for it or the customer redeems it against their Air Vistara points. Your system design ( which I know is bad) cannot be used as an excuse for a subpar experience.
Maybe train your staff on airport protocols and telling customer what they can/cannot do instead of lying or making false promises. Would have worked for Air India when it was government owned but as a TATA entity, it only brings you down!