[Resolved]  Indigo Airlines — CARRIAGE OF WHEELCHAIR

Sir

I booked a ticket for my 80 year old mother on Indigo air from Vadodara to Mumbai after speaking to a Indigo sales person to confirm that her own wheel chair will be allowed on board. The objective of the call to Indigo was to confirm that they allowed disability support items to needy passengers (without having to carry them as additional chargeable items of baggage). After making the booking via credit card, I received an alarming mail from Indigo that they had noticed unusual activity on my CC etc. immediately I called up their call centre and asked for details so that steps can be taken by me to safeguard the card. This turned out to be a totally false alarm. all attributable to inappropriate use of words by Indigo air in their mail. In talking to the CRM, I also asked him that he enters in his CTI against my mother's PNR that she will need assistance with her own wheel chair.

Two days before travel, I called up the Indigo call centre to reconfirm wheel chair assistance and to my surprise the lady CRM said that wheel chairs are not allowed and if required she can use the airline wheel chair! She did not seem concerned as to what happens once the passenger is disembarked at the destination? Then began the clarifications and my insistence that the wheel chair we have is required for her mobility whilst she is in Bombay, then the long wait whist she consulted her seniors and finally an offer from her that I could talk to the Check in desk at Vadodara directly, which I declined. instead I wrote an e mail to their feedback ID and a Mr Mohit Arora spoke to me the same day. The impression he gave me was that there is no issue of an own wheel chair being carried on board so long as it was collapsible. We also discussed the unwarranted alarm bells relating to credit card use. He subsequently sent a mail saying he is forwarding the feedback to concerned dept.

On the day of my mum's travel at the time of check in, the check in staff would not permit her wheel chair as cabin luggage and asked that it be checked in and paid as excess baggage. Then came the rounds of frantic calls to Mr Mohit Arora and back to check in desk but to no avail and as per Mr Arora's assertion that the excess be paid since the wheel chair has to be "checked in". reluctantly I complied by giving authority on the phone to charge to my credit card and in consequence I had to divulge my CVV number to the check counter staff.

The same day I complained about this volt'e face by Mr Arora and wrote to him to refund the excess charge. This morning I got a reply from him that the airline staff acted according to rules in charging for the wheel chair as it has to be a "checked in" and not carried as cabin luggage and there by exceeding the free baggage allowance permitted.

On checking the Indigo air web site again, I find that carriage of baggage rules clearly allow for the wheel chair to be carried as cabin (hand) luggage and therefore the question of check in does not arise. There is also provision in the rules as to how such items can be carried in hold for the duration of the flight if the cabin area cannot accommodate the same. These rules of carriage are extracted and attached.

I am writing to you with the request that such events needs to be reported and fair treatment for the senior citizens be seen to be delivered.

please advise me what steps I need to take to ensure that:

a) A refund is obtained for the unfair charges.

b) that the airline staff are better trained and operational depts like the check in counters are aware of their own rules on carriage of wheel chairs (for dependent passengers)

c) The consumer forum for airline travel is aware of the sordid treatment and creating unnecessary anxiety to an 80 year old traveling alone and who can advise a much wider group of people.

d) The ministry for aviation is made aware that Indigo airline allows for carrying of a sports kit (e.g. a golf bag or skiing equipment or surfing boards) at a set fee of Rs 500/- for checked in items yet demands a full weight related excess charge of Rs 100/- per kg for prosthetic like the wheel chair?

Is there no justice or fair play for the old and in firmed?


regards

Dilip Modi