Air India — I have not received the balance on my air ticket number[protected]

Dear Complaints Department of Air India.

I am so sorry to have to raise a complaint against your excellent airline company, who in the past I have enjoyed wonderful service from Air India and your staff. However, after nearly 2 years of trying to get satisfaction from my request for a full refund on an air ticket[protected], that your company cancelled and made me purchase a new ticket, (saying I would get a full refund from Air India), I now have to resort to making an official complaint that last thing I wanted to do. What happened is that I have a dual nationality and I was in Israel and had booked my flight from there to India, using my Israeli passport for the air ticket. However my Indian visa was under my Brazilian passport name of Jose Walter Carneiro Da Silva because I have dual citizenship for both countries Israel and Brazil.
When I have travelled previously to India from Israel I have had no issue with using my Israeli name of Walter Kerenor to fly out of Israel but then enter into India with my Brazilian passport name on the visa. But when leaving Israel on 29/02/2020, I was told when I
arrived at the check in Desk in Israel that the rules had changed and that I was no longer able to fly using a different name to fly out of Israel to enter India with a different name as on the visa (which had always been acceptable before). I was not made aware of this new change of policy
when I was making my booking, otherwise I would not have taken the action I did at the time of the booking. As I result I had to pay for a new ticket but the lady at the check said I could apply for a
refund on the first ticket I had purchased, hence this request.

Since March 2020 I have sent innumerable e-mails, feedback forms, phone calls to your company to try and get a resolution, only to be fobbed of every time. Then of course the pandemic hit and I appreciated that this would cause challenges to you, so I have been very patient waiting and waiting. Finally last year I got a partial refund paid to my debit card holder's account but it was $!50 USD short, of what I had paid for on this ticket. When I challenged this I received a message saying it is a cancellation fee as per your rules, I have been paid in full!

How can that be, since it was your company that cancelled my ticket, not me. Surely an international and reputable company such as yours, does not actually have to act in this way, when I did not cancel the air ticket but your office in Tel Aviv did! Not only that but having waited 20+ months to get a partial refund, is not on and really I should be getting compensation for loss of interest on my money, but I am not asking for that I am only asking that I be given the full refund.

When the pandemic struck in 2020, I was in India and I had booked to leave by Air India on 29.04.2020 from Delhi on air ticket[protected] and this was cancelled because all flights out and into India were cancelled, so I could not use my air ticket but instead I had to get airlifted out of India by my government Israel to fly home. I then waited over 12 months to get this refund after many requests to Air India.

I also wrote to your Nodal officer George Aby, but he never had the decency to even reply to my message, is that really on for an officer of a reputable company to act? Now 2 weeks ago I wrote to your Chief Vigilance Officer, Mr. Aditya K. Joshi, but either he does not exist or that he never received my email as to-date I have had no reply!

Anyway I have attached other documents that might help you to see how much time, money and energy I have used trying to get satisfaction. Please can you at last resolve my issue. I have other documentations, emails I could attach, but I think what I have sent should enable you to consider my case in a fair and equitable way.

Original letter for requesting refund shown below 05.03.2020

Dear Customer Service Team Air India

First of all I just want to say how much I enjoyed travelling with Air India and the onboard service was
excellent and the staff very friendly & helpful which is why I love going to India because of the
hospitality afforded to tourist.

However I had an issue on my flight from Tel Aviv Israel to Guwahati via Delhi which I had booked in
my Israeli Passport Name of Walter Kerenor but my Indian visa was in my Brazilian Name of Jose
Walter Carneiro Da Silva because I have dual citizenship for both countries Israel and Brazil.
When I have travelled previously to India I have had no issue with using my Israeli name of Walter
Kerenor to fly then enter into India with my Brazilian passport name on the visa. But I was told when I
arrived at the check in Desk in Israel on the 29/02/2020 that the rules had changed and that I was no
longer able to fly using a different name to fly out of Israel to enter India with a different name as on
the visa (which had always been acceptable before). I was not made aware of this new change of policy
when I was making my booking, otherwise I would not have taken the action I did at the time of the
booking. As I result I had to pay for a new ticket but the lady at the check said I could apply for a
refund on the first ticket I had purchased, hence this request.

Please therefore can you advise me how I can apply for a full refund on my first ticket. I appreciate that
you have policies in place that may preclude you offering me a refund but this is a genuine case of not
being informed of this change of policy and I would appreciate help in this matter.

My details of booking are as follows: -
BOOKING REF J45EQ 29/02/2020 TRAVEL FROM TEL AVIV TO GUWAHATI VIA DELHI AT A
COST O[censored]SD 518, 66
BOOKED IN THE NAME OF MR WALTER KERENOR

Thank you and I look forward to receiving your reply in due course.
Yours truly
Walter Kerenor

AIR INDIA’S REPLY
On Tue, Apr 21, 2020 at 7:30 PM Air India wrote:
Dear Sir/Madam
Thank you for contacting Air India
As we understand your concern .With reference to your email, We apologize for delay in response and inconvenience.
We will request you to kindly share below details with us.
*E-Ticket number which starts from 098 (13 digit)
*Passenger first/last name
*Date of travel
We request you the gave us the confirmation as soon as possible .
You are requested to refer to the updated Advisory available on our website (
virus .
www.airindia.in ), given with regards to re
Thank you for writing us.
For any further assistance please feel free to contact .
Regards
Anushree.
Air India Customer care centre
[protected] Original Message[protected]
From: [protected]@gmail.com [[protected]@gmail.com]
Sent: 20/4/2020 5:56 pm
To: [protected]@airindia.in
Subject: Complaint ID 01653292

Dear Sirs
I am still waiting a response to my complaint reference The case ID is 01653292.
I would appreciate the courtesy of an early response as this is now nearly 6 weeks when I
first raised the complaint.
Thank you for your assistance
Your truly
Walter Kerenor
ref:_00D2v1u6V0._5002u2RY79:

MY REPLY TO THE ABOVE EMAIL APRIL 21/2020

Dear Anushree.
Air India Customer care centre
RE: COMPLAINT ID 01653292
I refer to your message requesting details of the e-ticket and first name and last name of person
regarding my complaint.

The Booking Reference I got given when booking online was J45EQ and the e-ticket number is
[protected] date of travel 29/02/2020. I also attach a scanned copy of the Ticket itinerary /receipt
ticket. My name MR WALTER KERENOR.

Below a copy of the original email sent explaining the problem I have with you, i.e that I was made to
purchase a new ticket from Tel Aviv Israel to Guwahati which because I have a dual passport but my
visa was in my Brazilian Name but my air ticket was in my Israel passport name. As I have always
previously been able to enter India using my dual passport I was informed by your check in lady in Tel
Aviv that the rules had changed but there was no notification to give me that information, so I was
stuck and was told I would get a refund on this ticket which this email refers to.
I wait your response to this situation and know that as you are a reputable airline that you will
endeavour to satisfy my concern.
With much appreciation in attending to this matter.
Sent 14/12/2021
Dear Customer Service Team Air India

I refer to your email message sent to me 14.12.2021, in reference to my WB-IDEL[protected], where you say that the refund I received was in accordance with your rules and regulations. However I have to respectfully challenge you on this because I did not cancel the flight, but your airline operative in Tel Aviv did, because my visa for India was in my dual nationality Brazilian Name of Jose
Walter Carneiro Da Silva and not in my Israeli name.Walter Keren Or. I have traveled many times to India using either or name on a visa to enter India regardless of the name on my travel ticket. However your operative said that the rules had changed, so hence I had to buy a new ticket in the visa name, but don't worry I would get a full refund from Air India. Surely it was not upto Air India to refuse to let me fly on a valid passport regardless of having a visa in my other name? It would be up to India Immigration to either allow me to enter or refuse me to enter India.

I have been writing constantly to Air India since March 2020 asking for my refund, to which despite many and mean many assurance that I would get my refund, nothing but nothing, until after going through your feedback system, then finally I got the partial refund of $368.66 USD despite my paying you $518.66 USD. This makes a shortfall of $150 USD.

I have waited for over 19 months now, to get even a token refund from you and that is totally wrong, since it is not I who cancelled my ticket but you. And not only that, rather than you not giving me my full refund, you should be paying me compensation for the length of time it has taken you to actually refund me this partial amount of $368.66.

Please therefore in the interest of goodwill, will you now authorize my outstanding $150USD and in a reciprocal gesture of goodwill on my part, I will not make any further claim for compensation etc.

I attach yet again my original letter and various email responses for your attention and I hope that soon a satisfactory outcome will be achieved for both parties.

Thank you
Best regards
Walter Keren Or

FINAL COMMENT

I really pray that you will deal with this complaint in an equitable and just manner and I know you may not think that losing $150 USD is much, but it is to me and I hope that you will act swiftly and rightly in this matter.

Thank you
Best regards
Walter Keren Or