[Resolved]  Indigo Airlines — denied boarding in indigo even though were at the checking counter 10 mins before the counter close time stating flight was preponed

Address:

560048

I and my friend booked an indigo flight from bengaluru to jaipur with the following pnrs bch44p and iynsky. Our flight was scheduled to depart by 9.05 pm of 8th feb. But we were communicated a delay of 1 hr by sms, mail and call around 4.50 pm. The revised departure time was 10.10 pm. Because of the delay, we reached airport by 9.05 pm and was in check in counter by 9.15 pm. The lady at the counter said we can’t checkin as we are late. We said we are not late and we still have 10 mins for checkin to close. She directed us to counter no 24 where the staff named aashish told us that flight departure was revised to 9.45 and he called us to inform. We said we did not receive any calls. He said he cant help and all he can do is give tickets in next flight which is by 11.50 pm. But when we went to reservation counter we were told that flight is already fully booked. So the lady at the reservation counter said next earliest flight is only by 7.30 am which is via hyderabad to jaipur reaching by 1 pm of feb 9th. Then we went back to aashish and he said somebody booked online for 11.50 pm flight, so he can get us ticket only 7.30 am flight. We asked him to provide ticket in alternate airlines which he denied. By the time we bought new tickets for 7.30 am flight, our friends travelling in 10.10 pm flight, said the flight departed only 10.20 and it was not preponed. When we asked aashish about the same, he said it could be due to lot of reasons like clearance, weather, etc.,

After completing checkin and security checkin, we contacted the shift manager mr. Aarun and he mentioned flight was neither preponed nor over booked and he doesn’t know why we were denied booking. He infact showed us the departure time and passenger count in computer which 10.10 pm and 180/182 were boarded.

With all these we could understand that the checkin counter staff aashish literally lied to us on face for his personal gains and denied booking for us. This caused lot of trouble like staying over night in the airport, no dinner in the airport, reaching by 12 hrs late to the destination, missing the programmes planned in the destination, loss of money for the hotel we booked for accommodation.

I want to know clear reason why we were denied boarding and who travelled on our places and what was the relationship of that passenger to aashish. Why did he lie that flight is preponed? Why did he lie about the seat availability in 11.50 pm flight? Why did he behave rude to us? Why did he lie again when we asked why the flight departed later than 10.10 pm instead of the preponed time 9.45 pm?

We want aashish to be terminated from his job immediately and file a legal complaint against him for using his authority to cheat passengers who are educated like us. If he can lie and cheat educated people, he can do anything to innocent and uneducated people who can speak only their native languages.

In addition, i want indigo to pay compensation for
1) denying our boarding,
2) lying to passengers for personal gains,
3) behaving rude to passengers
4) falsely blaming passengers to be late
5) making us sit in airport for 10 hrs
6) not providing accomodation
7) making me reach the destination late by more than 12hr
8) delaying all my appointments
9) for wastage of my hotel reservations.

I also want to thank mr. Aarun who was polite enough to listen to our concerns, provide us lounge access and confirmed to takes
Actions if complaint is raised.

Timelines for reference.
8/2 4.50 pm flight delayed message was communicated from indigo via sma, mail and call.
8/2 9.05 pm reached airport
8/2 9.15 pm we were in the checkin counter.
8/2 9.17 pm lady at the counter said she cant provide boarding passes as we are late for the flight. We said we still have 10 mins for the counter to close. She said she cant provide and contact aashish at the counter 24.
8/2 9.20 pm aashish said we can’t board as we are late. Flight was preponed to 9.45 pm and indigo called us to inform. We reverted saying no calls were made. He denied to listen anything and said he can give alternate tickets for 11.50 pm flight for free of cost as a favour.
8/2 9.30 pm after fighting, we reached reservation counter and the lady over there informed that 11.50 pm flight is fully booked.
8/2 9.35 pm we again spoke to aashish and he again lies saying someone has booked online and he can offer us only 7.30 am ticket in the morning (9/2)
8/2 10.05 pm received new tickets for 7.30 am flight.
8/2 10.10 pm our other friends in the flight confirmed flight did not depart by 9.45 and only by 10.10 they were in runway.
8/2 11.15 pm we met shift manager mr. Aarun and he confirmed that flight was never preponed and we were able to see in his computer the same.