[Resolved]  Indigo Airlines — Non-intimation of flight status

Address: Mumbai City, Maharashtra

Kind Attention- Mr. Sarvesh Tiwari, Hyderabad This is with reference to my booking (PNR ID4QHH) from Hyd to Bom on 20.10.2014 at 5:50 am via Indigo Flight 6E 319. I had done a webcheck on 19.10.2014, and as per instructions for passengers who do a web-check in, arrived at the airport 45 mins prior to the departure time. Upon arrival at the airport, I collected a print of my boarding pass, which was also given to me at the Indigo counter inside the airport by your personnel. Thereafter i proceeded for the security check-in. The line at the security check-in was long. A display board in front of the check-in area displayed the status of flight 6E 319 as "Boarding", whereas a status of a spicejet flight immediately after 6E 319 displayed "final call", unlike Indigo which kept displaying "Boarding" at all times and not once intimated the passengers that it was final call. Assuming that boarding is still under way and there is no hurry, it being Indigo's regular practice to inform of the flight status, i kept waiting in the line from 5:15 am to 5:30, after which i, on my own, requested passengers to allow me to move ahead. I had completed my security check-in by 5:32 am, (approx 20 mins prior to departure time) after which i was proceeding to the boarding gate when i was stopped by your personnel who told me that the boarding gates were shut. I subsequently had to pay an additional amount of Rs. 2929 to get on the next flight. Kindly note the following: 1) I had followed all instructions given by Indigo for web-check in passengers and arrived at the airport 45 mins before the departure time. It was because of this that a boarding pass was given to me in the first place by your personnel. 2) All flights operating from airports are aware when there is a rush. As a mater of due precaution, it is their duty to inform passengers when the final call for a flight is underway. May i bring to your notice that spicejet adequately fulfilled its duty by indicating to the passengers that the final call for a flight was underway. However, Indigo personnel did not think it necessary to do so. I am curious to understand whether Indigo feels it is necessary to inform a non-defaulting passenger waiting in queue for security check-in of the correct status of the flight, or whether it shuns all responsibility in this regard. I would also like to bring to your attention that your ground staff (Mustafa) accepted responsibility for not displaying "final call" for passengers waiting in queue for security check-in, and suggested that i should get in touch with Customer Care. 3) I am aware of your policy stating "all boarding gates shall close 30 mins prior to the departure time". However, i urge you to clarify whether this policy is binding at all times, because as a matter of practice, Indigo allows its passengers to board even 5 mins prior to the schedule departure time. I say this because I have been allowed to do so several times, along with several other co-passengers. 4) In any case, I was in the security check in queue at the right time, but due to lack of intimation of the current status of the flight by your personnel, i did not take additional measures to move ahead in the line, which i did only at 5:25 on my own account. I believe Indigo to be a reputed world class airline which prides itself in the service it provides to its Customers. I did not default on any time limit set by Indigo and did not fail in following instructions, and therefore believe that i cannot be held responsible for default. However, Indigo chose not to display information regarding the boarding status, thereby causing me to miss the flight, incur additional charges, as also other consequences due to late arrival in Bombay. If Indigo indeed lives up to the claims it makes, it ought to accept responsibility for the mismanagement of this morning's affair and take appropriate action. Expecting a prompt response. Regards, Manya Bhardwaj