Delhi to Pune @ Rs 37,000 for two fliers

For the past two months the Palekars, a Pune-based family, is struggling to recover Rs 37,000, for two economy class air tickets from Delhi to Pune from Air India. HT reports.

For the past two months the Palekars, a Pune-based family, is struggling to recover Rs 37,000, for two economy class air tickets from Delhi to Pune from Air India.

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The family claims that despite having confirmed tickets they were forced to bear the extra cost because of miscommunication between Air India and Kingfisher Airlines.

The costly goof up happened on June 2 when Smita Palekar and her son Siddhant were returning home after a US holiday.

Despite having confirmed return tickets from New York to Mumbai, the Air India staff at the JFK airport informed them that because of an operational glitch the airline would fly them to Delhi instead and put them in a connecting flight operated by Kingfisher Airlines to Pune.

But when they landed in Delhi, Kingfisher officials told them that there were no bookings in their names.

“My son was shuttling between two airline counters after a long flight. But the Air India staff did not help us,” said Palekar, a businessman. Worse, the duo had to stay in Delhi as all flights to Pune were full.

The next day, they were forced to buy two economy class tickets from Delhi to Pune worth Rs. 37,000.

The average fare is Rs 8,000 one way. The Air India spokesperson did not respond to HT’s query till the time of going to press.

According to the Air Passenger Association of India, a passenger body, such incidents are on the rise. “It is the worst thing to happen to passengers. But there is little effort made to make airlines accountable,” said Sudhakar Reddy, national president of the body.