[Resolved]  MakeMyTrip.com — Not allowed to board flight 10 mins before departure time

Address:

Bangalore, Karnataka

Bangalore to kolkata (13th November, 2014, 6.50 pm flight), PNR# for my Flt 6E378 : YYW69Q. I had collected the boarding pass and submitted my luggage at around 5.45 pm. I was told to go to first floor gate 12. I went up and saw many people waiting. Since I was a first time traveller so I asked a staff(a boy dressed in shirt and trouser and having an id card) if I had arrived at the right place to wait. He told me I could wait there until my name will be announced. So I sat waiting. When my name was not announced by 6.30 pm I got up and went towards gate 12. At 6.33 pm I was standing right in front of gate 12 still waiting for name to be announced. At last when there was no announcements made at all I went to the staff person near the gate to inquire at 6.40pm. To my utter shock, she (her name is liji) told me that my flight has departed! I kept asking her how could the flight depart 10 mins prior to the departure time, it was just not possible. I asked her how could you leave a passenger who had collected her boarding pass 1 hr back without even waiting for a min. As per the rule for any passenger who has collected the boarding pass on time, the staffs are supossed to wait for atleast 5 to 10 mins. She told me they waited for me for 10 mins! I was shocked. I immediately asked when the flight departure time is 6.50 and you say that you waited for 10 mins then how is it possible that at 6.40 pm the flight has already departed! Miss liji behaved very indifferently to me. Since it was really urgent for me to board the flight I almost begged her to allow me in. But she behaved quite rudely and kept saying that the flight had departed and she can not do anything about it. I then told her to call the manager. Instead she said I could take you to the manager. I kept asking her to hurry up while we walked but she walked casually ignoring my words. When I met the manager (her name is Shilpa h r) I explained her the incident. After listening she very casually told that it was my fault and they cannot help me in any way. I kept on asking her how can it be my fault...how can the flight depart prior to the actual departure time without even informing the passenger, to which she did not reply. She told me that the rule for announcements to the passengers have been stopped at the airport 2 months back. I was not ready to believe this there are no airports where announcements are not made. She also told me that the staffs had tried calling me. But since I did not receive any call I showed her my call log. Then she asked me to wait a min. She came back telling me there was no call made. My very obvious question was how could the flight depart without announcement or a call to the customer that too before time. Then after a min she told the staff had tried calling me but my phone was switched off. I asked her to show me her call log. After some 5 to 10 mins she showed me a screen shot of the call. It was made once at 6.34 pm ! I immediately asked her if as per them they do not allow any passenger to board 20 mins prior to the departure then why did they try calling me so late! She obviously did not have any answer to this. Then I asked her to call her head. She kept telling me that she herself was the head and nobody was above her. When she was not at all listening to any of my concerns I asked her for the last time if she is going to tell me who the terminal head was or should I take the help of a police. She casually replied saying you are free to call the police. I went to the police and asked him about the terminal head. I explained everything to the terminal head. He said it was wrong on the side of the indigo staffs to do this but said he cannot enforce upon them anything but can only request them to make some arrangements for me. At last after the intervention of the terminal head, Miss Shilpa called her head. I explained her the problem. Though she did not behave rudely but she also said that they will not be able to help since it was my fault. I told her that I was travelling alone and was just 3 days old to the city. I had checked out from the place I had accomodation and was absolutely helpless to go any where at that time! Even after seeing such a state of mine she did not show any sign of help to me. I even made her talk to my brother explaining my problem. She said there was no other flight to Kolkata that night, the next earliest flight was at 6.35 the next morning and that I would have to pay for fresh booking of the ticket( it was 15k flight as per her). I clearly told her that the mistake was from your side and obviously I should not be the one who has to bear this loss. After a long argument she agreed to book me for the next flight without any extra charges. But still the problem was not solved. I was completely new to the city. I had travelled 3 hrs from e city to the airport. I had checked out from the place i had been staying. I had no place to go and no where to stay. I told her that she is also liable to make arrangements for my accomodation to which her reply was : sorry mam we can't make arrangements for that, we arranged you the tickets as a favour! Just because we considered that you are a girl travelling alone so we did the ticket arrangements for you! I was shocked ! Even after all the drama she was still not ready to accept her fault huh! I directly told her that they were not doing any favour to me, it was clear that they are at fault and that is why it was there duty to do so. At last I had to spend the whole night at the airport alone and on an half empty stomach. I did not get proper dinner outside, had to eat something light and even then i had to spend quite a lot since the food at airport is quite costly. I was literally shivering in cold at night. I had no warm clothes I could put on, at last I had to buy myself coffee (which I otherwise avoid) from ccd at the terminal to make myself warm. I demand an explanation to the inconvenience caused to me by the indigo attendant. Is this the kind of service you people provide to the passengers. Do you really expect me to ever go for indigo airlines in the future! Highly unsatisfied!