According to reports, on Monday, many people booked a GoFirst flight that didn’t even exist. Yes, people booked their tickets on a ghost flight from Hyderabad to Delhi. CISF personnel posted at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) refused to let the passengers inside. Stranded passengers were told that the airline had suspended operations on that route.
Well, this seems very weird to us, but the passengers got very annoyed after this ruckus. Find out what exactly went wrong.
Ghost Flight: Here’s What Went Wrong
Passengers accused the airline of being a fraud and urged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to take strict action against the airline. They also demanded action against the online portal, Happy Fairs based in Guwahati. The tickets for these flights were issued to the people on October 1 and the company stopped operating the flights only after a few weeks. Looks like the airline industry is also celebrating the Halloween season by ghosting flyers!
Also read: Passengers Faint After AC On GoFirst Flight Stop Working Midair
The PNR number was live on the website. Several calls were made to the airport staff and airline numbers to seek help from the portal but no positive response was there. In a report by TOI, the number present on the ticket was of Ankit Agarwal, the owner of GoFlySmart, a sub-agent of GoFirst. He buys tickets from the airline and sells them to Happy Fair.
He admitted the mistake and shared an e-mail the airline sent to him on October 26. The flight from Hyderabad to New Delhi on October 31 was changed due to operational reasons. However, since the PNR was published on his GoFirst website, they thought the flight was still on.
Also read: After IndiGo, GoFirst Employees Go On Mass Leaves To Protest Against Low Salaries
People Even Bought Tickets At Double Prices
Many had bought tickets even at double the price. The passengers had taken group tickets. Many of them had to pay double the price for spot tickets. Later, many passengers sent e-mails to the company, but unfortunately, they received no reply from their end.
Also read: GoFirst Bangalore-Maldives Flight Makes Emergency Landing In Coimbatore After Smoke Warning
The question arises, whether GoFirst will refund the payments or arrange alternative flights for these passengers.
Cover image courtesy: Pexels