[Resolved]  MakeMyTrip — Misleading Advertisements and Cheating

I am writing this letter with the motive to inform people who are planning to take any kind of services from Make My Trip in India or abroad. Also I would like to urge all of you to bring it to the attention of every possible reader/viewer etc.

In the below passages I will write in detail about my experience with this pathetic organization and how people involved in this organization mislead innocent customers and manipulate things.

I am an NRI based in Dubai and was looking for a holiday package to Europe for a week’s duration. After going through many advertisements in the newspapers and websites I finally found a trip “European Highlights” being offered by makemytrip.com.

This package was offered on their India website. Since I am based in Dubai I contacted their India office through their online chat option. I was serviced by a chat operator “Jiteneder Sharma”. He told me that I can avail the same offer from Dubai as well as they have an office in Dubai. This office in Dubai is by the name of Apollo Flight Centre.

The very next day I called up Apollo Flight Center to enquire about the said package. I was serviced by a lady called “Gertrude”, she asked me to visit their UAE based website makemytrip.ae for further details. On visiting the site I got the below information:

Package Name – European Highlights
Price - USD 1499 per person on twin sharing basis.
Duration - 6 nights and 7 days.
Departure Date - 25 July, 2009

(Information as published on their website is saved in the document attached.)

The above package included the Air Fare, Hotel Accommodation, Sight Seeing, Meals and Guided Tours etc.

The above details suited my requirement; hence I contacted Ms Gertrude from Apollo Flight Centre to give me the final quote for 4 adults and 3 infants so that I can book the package. And this is where the whole PROBLEM started.

This lady was completely IGNORANT of the package/process and for more than a week she kept giving me different quotes and prices. Every time I used to ask for any additional information regarding the package, her previous quote would change without any reason. On asking why the rate has changed, she would have no answer. This was getting very irritating and confusing for myself. During all this confusion I was contacted by the General Manager (Malco Rodriguez) of Apollo Flight Cetnter. He himself apologized for the incorrect information being provided by his staff and assured me that in a day or two he will personally provide me with all the services that I require.

In spite of talking to the GM of Apollo Flight Centre, there was no progress and for more than 10 days I still did not had a quote of the package.

Gone through all this and still waiting, I decided to bring it to the notice of the CEO(Deepak Kalra) of makemytrip.com, hoping that things would get streamlined.

I wrote my complete incident to Mr. Deepak Kalra (CEO, makemytrip.com) and copied Mr. Malco Rodriguez (GM, Apollo Flight Centre). Within half an hour I received a call from Mr. Malco. He tried to pacify me and apologized for everything that had gone wrong. I would like to quote his words here “Mr. Kashyap, I would not be able to sleep until and unless I resolve your matter”.

Mr. Malco asked me for a day’s time to resolve the issue. The next day I got a call from him that he had finalized the prices and everything but he would require another 2-3 hours to confirm on the departure dates. I had started to feel comfortable that now the things are speeding up but I was wrong. There was no communication from him since then till date.

Another 2-3 days passed and time was running. I had no clue what was going on as no one was in a position to help me out here. It had been approximately 15 days and till date I did not had the quote.

Seeing no response again from makemytrip.com Dubai office, I wrote to Mr. Deepak Kalra (CEO, makemytrip.com) again.

This time I was contacted over the email by Ms Geeta Eral (customer service Manager India, makemytrip.com). She apologized for all the inconvenience that I had to go through because of makemytrip.com and assured me that she will get back to me on resolving the issue ASAP. She also mentioned that I can write back to her for any issue directly.I thought that this time something will happen and I will finally be able to book a package for my family and friends but as earlier I was wrong.

Ms Geeta did not replied to me for another 2-3 days . I was wondering what is happening on my issue. On writing back to Ms Geeta for the status on my issue, I got a reply that we are working out on the departure dates and it would take another 3-4 days for finalizing the same. I got really very irritated . I was unable to understand what were they trying to finalize. Everything that a customer needed was mentioned on their advertisement banner on their website. I was not asking for a customized package for myself but what was mentioned on their website. I wrote back to Ms Geeta (copying the CEO) strongly that why it is taking so long to book a package which is advertised on your website. I even asked her to let me know if their company was not in a position to offer the package as advertised on their website. I got no reply from her.

It had been around 20 days that I have been breaking my head with fools in makemytrip.com but no resolution. After 20 days later I am being contacted by Mr. Manoj Gagwani (Head International Business India, makemytrip.com).

As usual he apologized and gave me the same stories which I have heard from Mr. Malco and Ms Geeta Eral. He asked me to give him 2-3 days and he will finalize everything and get back to me.

Even after a week there was no response from the so called Head – International Business of makemytrip.com I completely understood that they are just trying to fool customers and not in a position to offer what they have stated on their website.

I wrote my last mail to the CEO by copying all the above people with whom I have corresponded with. I clearly wrote that I will be highlighting this whole incident to the relevant authorities in India and UAE so that innocent customers are not cheated.

In the end I would like to strongly highlight/summarize the below points:

Staff working in makemytrip.com unaware/ignorant of what their company is advertising.
Serious training issues with staff in makemytrip.com.
Service level of makemytrip.com is far below the standards.
Misleading information being published on their website as well as brochures.
Unable to provide what is being promised in the advertisements. Which is an offense in the eyes of the law.
Lot of hidden cost not told to the customer at the time on enquiry, that is the reason prices keep changing everytime.
Cheating Indian as well as foreign customers by their planned nexus.


It is my kind request to take this incident seriously and strong action needs to be taken against such organizations who are looting customers money, breaking all the laws and still in business.

I might be one of such thousand customers who had been mislead by makemytrip.com. But as being a responsible citizen it becomes my duty to highlight these issues to the public.

(Banners as advertised on makemytrip.com are attached in the document)


Thanks and Regards
Saujanya Kashyap
Contact - [protected]