Couple of weeks back, an unpleasant personal encounter with Go Air brought to the fore the poor passenger policy that many airline operators in India have. For a service-sector like airlines, this does not bode well. Despite few attempts by DGCA, the ordinary passenger finds himself at the mercy of the airline, and there is very little the aggrieved can do. A passenger-friendly policy, while keeping interests of airlines intact, is the need of the hour.
Let me narrate what happened to me and my family on January 31, 2016. Our Go Air flight to Mumbai, which was due to depart from Bhubaneswar at 8am, was rescheduled to 8.40am for which I received a message the previous evening. After we checked in at the airport, to my utter dismay, boarding had not begun and all passengers were just waiting. While no information was furnished by Go Air staff, people could see through the glass pane some work being undertaken in the aircraft.
8.40 finally became 9.20 when boarding started and the flight took off at about 9.40, a good hour delay from the rescheduled time. Now it would have all been fine but for my next flight which was at 12.15 from Mumbai. What originally had a good two hours' gap between the two flights was now reduced to about 45 minutes. I brought it to the notice of the cabin crew, who clearly weren't serious about the issue and on repeating my problem thrice, assured me that the pilots will talk to the ground staff and my early exit will be facilitated.
What happened when the flight landed at Mumbai was appalling. When I asked one Mr Vishal, the crew head, about what happened to my request, he said I would be assisted by their ground staff and arrangements will be made. Only when we exit the aircraft did we realise that nothing had been done. The ground staff, feigned genuine ignorance, and directed us to baggage collection, a good distance opposite the direction we should have been heading to catch the next flight.
16/02/16 Sambit Dash/Daily O
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Let me narrate what happened to me and my family on January 31, 2016. Our Go Air flight to Mumbai, which was due to depart from Bhubaneswar at 8am, was rescheduled to 8.40am for which I received a message the previous evening. After we checked in at the airport, to my utter dismay, boarding had not begun and all passengers were just waiting. While no information was furnished by Go Air staff, people could see through the glass pane some work being undertaken in the aircraft.
8.40 finally became 9.20 when boarding started and the flight took off at about 9.40, a good hour delay from the rescheduled time. Now it would have all been fine but for my next flight which was at 12.15 from Mumbai. What originally had a good two hours' gap between the two flights was now reduced to about 45 minutes. I brought it to the notice of the cabin crew, who clearly weren't serious about the issue and on repeating my problem thrice, assured me that the pilots will talk to the ground staff and my early exit will be facilitated.
What happened when the flight landed at Mumbai was appalling. When I asked one Mr Vishal, the crew head, about what happened to my request, he said I would be assisted by their ground staff and arrangements will be made. Only when we exit the aircraft did we realise that nothing had been done. The ground staff, feigned genuine ignorance, and directed us to baggage collection, a good distance opposite the direction we should have been heading to catch the next flight.
16/02/16 Sambit Dash/Daily O
