[Resolved]  Kingfisher Airlines — Cancellation of flight without intimation

Address:

Bangalore, Karnataka

Sir,

I booked round trip flight tickets for me and my family as per the following itinerary on 14th September, 2010

Booking Reference (PNR): DKBDQU

Flight Departure Arrival Duration Class of Service Status
========================================================
IT3411 BLR CCU 02:30hrs Kingfisher Red Confirmed
24 Dec, 2010 24 Dec, 2010
07:00 09:30

IT3415 CCU BLR 02:30hrs Kingfisher Red Confirmed
01 Jan, 2011 01 Jan, 2011
15:00 17:30

I got this deal for Rs.21,348/= and I was very happy that I am all set to go to my native during the holidays. Just casually, I wanted to check the ticket prices today (12th November, 2010) and found that there is no Kingfisher flight to Kolkata at 7 AM in the morning. Being worried, I immediately called up the Kingfisher booking center[protected] to confirm my bookings. To my surprise and shock, the call center representative (Abdullah) told me that these two flights have been cancelled long time back. The airlines has decided to cancel the flights without bothering to inform customers who have confirmed bookings on the same flights. The representative was very rude and never apologetic. Rather, he reminded me that as per the airlines policy they have done their bit by transferring my tickets to another flight IT3431 which is a hopping flight starting at 6:20AM without even informing the customer. When I asked him if he knows whether I would at all like to go by this flight, he arrogantly told me to cancel the tickets if it does not suit me. He did not want to listen to me and said that if I have any complaints I should send an email to [protected]@flykingfisher.com or [protected]@flykingfisher.com.

My questions are,

1) If the flights have been cancelled long time back, why didn't the airlines inform the passengers who had already purchased tickets in this flight?
2) Fortunately, I enquired about the flights on the net. Otherwise, I would have gone to the airport on 24th December at 7AM in the morning. What would the airlines do with my reservation then?
3) Now that I have to purchase a new ticket at an elevated price, who is going to pay for this extra money? Is Kingfisher going to bear the extra cost?
4) There should be some mechanism of penalizing these airlines companies for their high handed behaviour and don't care attitude about the customers.

Thanks,
Bijitendra Mittra