| Address: | Airport Terminal 1, New Delhi |
Dear Officer,
I wish to inform that I along with my family had booked an Indigo flight to Vadodara from New Delhi, Terminal 1, for 11th September, 2022. The flight details are enclosed.
One of my family members, my daughter in law, Mrs. Akansha Roongta, was also travelling with us. She had some pain in stomach two days back (9th Sept 2022) when we were in Srinagar on Holiday trip. She was diagnosed in ladies hospital named General Lalla Ded Hospital in Srinagar and after conducting few tests, we were told that there was no major problem and pain will subside in 2-3 days. However, she was not very comfortable in walking. So we asked for a Wheel chair in Srinagar airport during our Air India flight on 10-09-22. The flight details are enclosed.
There was no problem faced at Srinagar airport and we were immediately provided wheel chair after going through our papers.
But during our onward journey to Vadodara on 11-09-22 through your airlines, we had a very bad experience which was not expected from Indigo Airlines especially when your airline holds a reasonably good reputation in Indian aviation industry.
I give below a brief summary of our experience at airport with your staff member.
Our flight departure time was 5:05 am and we had reached Airport about 2.5 hrs. early from scheduled departure time to have hassle free journey. But our experience was totally the opposite.
When we asked for wheel chair facility at Indigo counter we were asked to show some documents so as to support the need for a wheelchair. We explained them orally but they insisted on a written document or a prescription for the same which we were happy to show. After receiving the same the staff asked us to wait for some time so that they could consult with their onsite doctor. We had been waiting for an hour after which we started to become a bit concerned and after repeatedly asking them about the status we were informed at 4:00 am that the passenger was not fit to travel and that the doctor is insisting on an ultrasonography report without which they will not allow the passenger to board. We explained them that ultrasonography test was already done in Srinagar and the test result has been remarked in the prescription. But they insisted for report copy. We clarified them that we had got the passenger was treated in a government hospital in Srinagar where the usual norms are not to provide with a formal report but to scribble the results on the prescription itself. (a photo of the prescription shown to them is attached). But it had no effect.
At this point of time I would also like to bring to your notice that the staff that was carrying the report to and from the doctor was having a very casual and a laid out manner of working as he was walking in a very leisurely manner and shaking hands and greeting his fellow staff members. As the flight was about to take off we expected the indigo staff to understand the urgency of the matter but they were very casual in their approach.
We even told them that we were ready to take personal responsibility for the patient as the patient and we knew that it was not a very serious medical emergency and requested them to allow us to board the plane. But it had no effect on them. In all this process, stipulated boarding time passed away. Eventually, they did not allow us to board the plane and offered to refund the amount of fare or book another ticket in next Indigo flight after test and doctor consent.
At this time when the flight had already taken off we insisted on meeting the doctor on site who denied us the permission without even physically checking the patient. They made a few calls and asked us to talk to the doctor on mobile as the doctor was busy with a lot of patients on the floor below where they had gone to show the prescriptions. However when we insisted to meet the doctor personally they took us to the floor below and kept us waiting in the corridor on the lower floor. We were surprised to know that there was no doctor available and there was just some person sending the photos of the prescriptions on whatsApp and consulting with some unknown person. Indigo staff was giving us blatant lies about the availability of the doctor.
They further insisted on getting the ultrasonography report and offered to refund the amount of fare or book another ticket in next Indigo flight after test and doctor consent.
We had no choice but to get the refund for two tickets namely Mr Anukool Roongta & Mrs Akansha Roongta
We again booked two tickets in an evening Air India flight to Vadodara at higher fare. We boarded the flight from Terminal 3 without any difficulty but we wasted our entire day spending 10 hours at airport.
We never expected such type of treatment from Indigo staff. We summarize our grievances as under:-
1) If in the opinion of Doctor of Indigo airlines, the patient had serious problem for which they could not give permission to board the plane, then why no proper care of patient was taken as per ethics of Doctor Profession. Why the patient was made to sit for two hours without any medical attention. Are Indigo airlines not morally responsible to provide bare minimum medical treatment?
2) Why Indigo staff took more than one and a half hours to come to the conclusion that the passenger cannot board the plane.
3) Why blunt lie was spoken by Indigo staff that Doctor has denied the permission to board the plane when in fact no Doctor was available at airport.
4) Why no test facility was available at Airport to meet any emergency situation like this.
Aviation rules framed by Government authority are same for every airline. Then why different procedures are followed by different Airlines. It points towards open violation of rules and regulations
In the end, we lodge our financial claim as under:-
1) Difference fare of Rs 8600/[protected] which we had to pay to Air India airlines for two people for journey to Vadodara on same day. Online ticket has been attached for your reference
2) Basic food expenses of Rs 2000/- incurred by us during our wait at terminal 3 for next flight
3) Rs 1, 00, 000 for mental torture and loss due to delay in our onward commitments at Vadodara.
You are requested to pay the claim amount at the earliest by sending a cheque in favour of SIDDHARTH ROONGTA at the below given address
Siddharth Roongta
S-6, Shreeji Astha Avenue,
Near Balaji Hospital
Subhanpura
Vadodara-390023
Regards
Siddharth Roongta
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