With Air India clubbing its flights on some international routes due to " low passenger load", those who were booked on flights that got cancelled have been left high and dry.
A passenger booked on a Delhi-London flight that was scheduled to depart from IGI Airport on the morning of July 1 was informed about cancellation around June 21. Another flier booked on that flight got a call from Air India just recently on June 27.
Since the beginning of this month, AI-115 — that departs for London at 6.45am — has been cancelled and the airline has been offering passengers tickets on AI-111, which leaves in the afternoon. "This flight departs 14 hours after AI-115. I have made expensive hotel bookings in London that will be wasted if I don't get there on Friday. When I conveyed this to airline officials, they first said there was no other flight and later offered a flight that takes 17 hours to London," said Priya Kaul (name changed), who was told about the cancellation of her July 1 flight on Monday.
Kaul spent most of Tuesday trying to book another flight — which cost Rs 5,000 more than her AI ticket. "When I asked AI for a refund, they told me I would have to go to their Safdarjung office to collect it. I made the booking online in February so why can't they just reverse the transaction. They informed about cancellation at the last minute. I had to book a more expensive ticket and plan the trip again. And now, I am expected to go to the office to collect the refund," she added.
A passenger booked on a Delhi-London flight that was scheduled to depart from IGI Airport on the morning of July 1 was informed about cancellation around June 21. Another flier booked on that flight got a call from Air India just recently on June 27.
Since the beginning of this month, AI-115 — that departs for London at 6.45am — has been cancelled and the airline has been offering passengers tickets on AI-111, which leaves in the afternoon. "This flight departs 14 hours after AI-115. I have made expensive hotel bookings in London that will be wasted if I don't get there on Friday. When I conveyed this to airline officials, they first said there was no other flight and later offered a flight that takes 17 hours to London," said Priya Kaul (name changed), who was told about the cancellation of her July 1 flight on Monday.
Kaul spent most of Tuesday trying to book another flight — which cost Rs 5,000 more than her AI ticket. "When I asked AI for a refund, they told me I would have to go to their Safdarjung office to collect it. I made the booking online in February so why can't they just reverse the transaction. They informed about cancellation at the last minute. I had to book a more expensive ticket and plan the trip again. And now, I am expected to go to the office to collect the refund," she added.
