Fintech platform owner shares distressing experience while travelling via Indigo
Court instructs Indigo to pay compensation of Rs 70,000 after delay in receiving checked luggage
By: Pune Pulse
November 3, 2023
Pune: According to Sundeep Saxena, co-founder of fintech platform Coin Gabbar, his recent flight with IndiGo Airlines from Bengaluru to Indore was a distressing experience due to what he claims was extortion.
Despite having paid the full amount for his flight ticket, Sundeep alleges that he was forced to pay an additional fee for a seat on the aircraft. He shared his negative experience on LinkedIn.
He wrote, ‘During my travel from Bengaluru to Indore via Ahmedabad, I encountered an issue with the web check-in system of IndiGo. The system required me to select seats for the flight from Ahmedabad to Indore, without which I couldn’t complete the process.
However, the system did not assign any seats to me. This incident made me wonder about the challenges faced by the Indian aviation sector, particularly IndiGo. I had to pay for a selected seat, which raised concerns about the airline’s financial stability.’
He further wrote, ‘All the available seats coincidentally were only paid. Regardless of preference, there were no free seats. Initially, I considered checking in at the desk, but then I realized that it would also come with a charge. This realization made me think that IndiGo must be facing significant financial difficulties if they have resorted to extortion.’
Speaking more about the issue he wrote, ‘The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) was tagged and requested to take action against the airline. This incident reportedly occurred on October 22. In response to the comments, IndiGo acknowledged the issue and expressed regret for the experience. They assured the customer that their feedback had been duly noted and they looked forward to serving them better in future travels.
IndiGo clarified on Saturday that web check-in is not compulsory but suggested to customers for a smoother experience, following numerous complaints of airlines pressuring passengers to pay for seats.
The government has expressed concern to airlines and online travel aggregators about the practice of charging for every seat, even after a ticket has been purchased, with some reports labeling it as an unfair trade practice.’
