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9 in 10 flyers believe Indian airlines compromising on comfort: Report
In-flight services and boarding procedures among top concerns for passengers, survey finds.
A recent survey has brought to light a concerning trend in the country's aviation sector, indicating that a staggering 9 out of 10 passengers believe that India-based airlines have been compromising on comfort and cutting corners over the last 24 months. The survey report highlighted that 88% of the respondents faced one or more issues during their flights in the past two years.
When asked about the specific challenges encountered, the responses were varied but revealed some prevalent concerns.
The largest group, constituting 39% of respondents, pointed to in-flight services, including meals and entertainment, as a significant source of dissatisfaction. Furthermore, 35% of respondents reported issues related to boarding and check-in procedures, as well as baggage handling, while 9% cited problems with airline staff behaviour both inside the flight and at the airport.
Some respondents reported being denied boarding due to late arrival at the airline counter by a few minutes, subsequently being led to the airline's ticket counter to pay significantly extra charges for the next flight.
“Airlines overbooking and denying boarding to passengers showing up a few minutes late was a common issue reported along with rude behaviour of staff in many such instances,” the survey report said.
“Some fliers also pointed to a malpractice by certain airlines where those arriving a few minutes late were directed to re-book themselves at the ticket counter thereby paying more money to the airline for a same day booking,” it added.
The overall sentiment captured in the survey indicates a deterioration in customer service and care provided by India-based airlines.
The percentage of passengers who believed that airlines were compromising on passenger comfort and cutting corners has surged from 78% in the 2022 survey, conducted by LocalCircles, to a concerning 88% in the 2023 survey.
“Many fliers continue to believe that the aviation regulator has largely been ignorant on airline customer service shortfalls that they regularly experience and that it must ensure better services and behaviour of airline staff and faster escalation mechanisms that are available in real time to passengers,” it said.
