Flight is on time… no, it’s cancelled… sorry, it’s on time

Mumbai: An elderly couple, booked on the airline to fly from Mumbai to Chennai on October 24, have a harrowing tale to tell about the mismanagement and lack of coordination between Air India (AI) and Indian Airlines.
Shankar Kuppuswamy, 46, said his parents V Kuppuswamy, 81, and Sharadha Kuppuswamy, 76, went through an ordeal while flying AI’s Mumbai-Chennai flight IC-994 on Sunday.
“We had booked the tickets three months in advance. My parents had come to Mumbai by an AI 127 Chicago-Mumbai flight on October 12, and on October 24, they were scheduled to catch a connecting flight that leaves at 8.20am. When I called up the airline’s office in Chennai to confirm the tickets, they first told me the ticket did not reflect in their system. Later, they said the flight was cancelled. Then they asked me to get the confirmation from Mumbai,” Shankar said, adding that he called up Mumbai call centre and got the tickets confirmed.
He said he was told by a call centre executive to come to domestic terminal on the date of journey. On October 21, his travel agent from Chennai called up, saying the airline had cancelled the flight and the passengers were booked on the next flight IC 914 that leaves at 9.40am. Later, they told him the flight was confirmed and would leave as per schedule.
Shankar said he went to the domestic terminal on night of October 23 to make sure everything goes right. “When I went to Indian Airline’s counter to get the tickets endorsed, the airline refused to confirm the PNR, saying it was an AI flight. But after two hours, they endorsed the tickets.
After that, I was told that my parents should reach the international terminal, Sahar to board the flight. As my parents are old, I requested them to provide for wheel-chairs for both of them. The airline staff said they provide wheel chair only to AI passengers, and not Indian passengers. After a lot of argument, they finally agreed,” he said.
On the day of travel, the passengers reported to Sahar terminal at 6.25am and Shankar was told that the flight was on time. However, the flight did not land at all and when Shankar called up the airline’s office, they said the flight was cancelled but did not know where his parents were.
“They asked me to call them on their mobile phone,” he said, adding they did not carry a cellphone. “It was when my sister created a ruckus at Chennai airport did they tell her that the passengers were on another flight that left Mumbai at 9.40am,” he added.
27/10/10 Naveeta Singh/Daily News & Analysis

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Categories: Air India - International Oct 2010, Air India Domestic Oct 2010, airports Oct 2010, NACIL Oct 2010