Amid the pandemic, we’ve witnessed loads of fluctuations in air ticket prices. There have been months with skyrocketed flight fares, while for some other days tickets were being offered at steal deals. But if you pre-book your tickets at highly discounted rates now, they might end up getting cancelled, even when there are no travel restrictions. Similar incidents happened with me and my colleague Tania for flight tickets booked to Kolkata and Pune. Below are our personal accounts:
Flight Tickets Booked From Delhi To Kolkata At 50% Off Cancelled Before The Journey
My parents were supposed to travel from Delhi to Kolkata on August 2, 2021. We had booked air tickets for the same a month ago on June 20, 2021, at a discounted rate of ₹5219 for two people. For the June-July period, the government had hiked flight fares by 15%. But various airlines including IndiGo were offering tickets for August at highly slashed rates. We also booked seats on an IndiGo flight via the EaseMyTrip app.
On July 24, IndiGo sent a message to my father that the flight has been cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions. On the travel date, Kolkata was allowing travellers from Delhi who were either fully vaccinated or had a negative RT-PCR report, conducted within 72 hours. The rule is still the same. My parents were fully vaccinated. After receiving the message from IndiGo, we called up the Kolkata Airport and came to know that there are no flight restrictions from Delhi for fully vaccinated passengers. The airport spokesperson however added that airlines might have their own rules related to COVID-19.
Also Read: Delhi-London Economy Class Flight Fares Soar To ₹3.95 Lakhs
The Trip Was Shown As ‘Completed’ On Third-Party App; Finally Got The Refund With Convenience Fees Deducted
The story does not end here. IndiGo said that they were in process of rebooking the best alternative flight. It also stated that in the interim, we might book an alternative flight or cancel the flight and take a refund as Plan B. We chose to cancel the flight and take a refund. On the IndiGo app, we were confirmed that the refund had been processed and was pending with the travel partner. We informed EaseMyTrip and was waiting for the refund.
But to our surprise, on August 2, the trip status on the EMT app was shown as ‘Completed’. We then made a seven-pointer e-mail to EMT, and finally got the amount refunded, with convenience fees deducted. We got a refund of ₹4619.
Here’s Tania Taking Over To Narrate Her Story
I had booked return flights from Kolkata to Pune for my parents for August 14. I got the two-way tickets in an unbelievable price of ₹12500 for two in February 2021. However on July 20, I got a message that read “IndiGo regrets to inform you that your flight to Pune has been cancelled”. Eventually, the return flights also got cancelled. While I still wait for the airline to make the refund, I am now highly apprehensive of such sales. The times are surely uncertain, but is offering discounted tickets amid the pandemic the right thing to do? As flights are getting delayed and cancelled, booking the tickets just few days before the travel date seems like a much better option. Also, if airlines are facing so many hiccups with flying, why are they even offering a discounted ticket price?
It’s time to rethink those too-good-to-be-true offers.
Also Read: Delhi Airport Sets Up Rapid Testing Booth For Passengers; Cost Per Test ₹5000
Did you also face similar issues while booking discounted flight tickets? Let us know in the comments section below.