Indigo Airlines — Denied boarding that was easily possible

Address:	Rohtak, Haryana, 124001
Website:	www.consumercomplaints.in/new_complaint

Denied boarding and extra charges on next Indigo-flight
I would like to share details of an incident which happened on the morning of 23rd Feb. 2016 at Mumbai airport regarding a case of poor customer service and abnormal charging of the tickets for an alternative flight and demand corrective action for the same.

We were five passengers booked for your Mumbai-Delhi Indigo flight 6E 196 with PNR no. P22ZUR ; The scheduled departure was 10:50 am on 23 Feb. 2016.

Due to traffic congestion and unusual rush at the entrance main gate of the airport, we could not seek boarding pass till 10:10 a.m. We are certainly aware of the terms and conditions of boarding pass issuance and by this time the attendant at the counter said that this flight is not possible, we had pleaded with the staff and requested them to accommodate us in the flight as the flight in question had significant time for departure (That is approx. 40 min.). We also pleaded with your staff to speak to their superiors and seek help. But they refused our request, created a kind of a panic situation and simply asked us to travel by an alternative flight. The attendant told us to go the counter no. 38 A where the staff members rudely repeat the same thing that your flight is not possible although we have web-check-in one day before the flight.

The argue took 10 to 15 min. more and it is almost 10:30 a.m. by then. Then I requested them is there any way out, then again they said NOT POSSIBLE. Then I asked them what if my checked-in baggage will not go, then the staff member at the counter 38 A said that it is possible if your checked-in baggage will not go with you provided you have web-check-in which I already had. Again that lady look into the computer and said ‘Now it is not possible because it is too late’.

Now in the reflection of events gone by, we would like to pose the following questions --

1) Seriously in this age of competition, development, social media, what kind of a customer service is that?

-- One, you could have allowed us to board the flight as there was still significant time left (approx.. 40 min.) and the difference in time by which we missed the boarding pass deadline was hardly minutes (Do you reimburse customers if your flight reaches late by few minutes?)
-- Second, if that posed really grave operational difficulties, and we appreciate your stickler for on-time departures, you could have accommodated us in a following flight with our existing tickets !, as do most airlines albeit with some token charges (That would have been a touch of amazing customer service and human understanding and also humanity.)

2) Why did your executives behave in such a manner without any human touch and understanding of our situation and not properly guide us about the options? All your staff seems to be on a mission to make best of the situation n company favour.

3) Being a reputed company in a very important service industry, why did your staff lack that human touch? Surely you are not just cold profit-churning machinery in this industry where airlines in India and around the world exhibit amazingly some truly wonderful examples of customer empathy. Is indigo briefing to staff is on these lines in such a situation?

Here I can tell you the following way in which I can go to the flight no. 6E 196, which unfortunately your staff must have told me :
1) I could have put my checked-in baggage (only one) to some of my known at the airport and we could have board the flight within the time easily with the cabin baggage only. For your information the security in-charge at the airport Asst. Commandant Mr. Joshi was well known to me where I could have put my checked-in baggage and could have able to go the Delhi.

2) My wife and three little kids could board the flight and I could come with the next flight so that my loss could be curtailed.

3) We all five family members could go to the same flight and my checked-in baggage could come with the next possible flight.

All the above ways could be possible but your staff members at 38A force me to buy fresh tickets which cost me Rs. 22, 005 under pnr. No. ZD94KQ – 6E – 174.

Now I tell you the most interesting things which you must relish regarding the efficiency of your staff that as soon as I bought these tickets, the all the above three ways to go has been told by your staff only at the ticket counter. Amazing thing, isn’t it?

We have many other such questions - We would like to have answers for these and corrective action from your end. We request a full refund for the extra amount charged though very little can fix the ordeal which we went through. Please show us that customer service really means to you.
I am not asking about the compensation of my difficulties I just want my right to get full refund of pnr. No. ZD94KQ – 6E – 174 because this loss is sheerly due to inefficiency and lack of knowledge of your staff.
Vivek Negi