InterGlobe Aviation Ltd, which runs India’s largest budget airline IndiGo, has an enviable market share of 43 percent and has been ruling the Indian skies. It is the preferred airlines of fliers. It earned its spurs mainly on the back of quick turnaround and punctuality.
In the not too distant past, Indigo — hailed as the only airline to make profits along with of course Lufthansa, though of late its fortunes have taken a beating — reported a loss at Rs 652.13 crore in the three months ended September 2018, compared to a profit of Rs 551.56 crore a year ago, mainly as it was impacted by high fuel costs and rupee depreciation. But that was inevitable in its very nature of the business where it is dependent on imported crude that is converted by Indian refineries into aviation fuel; and foreign exchange to pay for its aircraft whether taken on lease or outright purchase apart from spares. Both relate to exchange rate.
Bad times, however, should not call for knee-jerk reactions though. That is not the hallmark of greatness. But Indigo has done just that. Its decision to charge for web check-in smacks of pettiness and irrationality.
Why should a flier pay for web check-in when the truth is he is doing a favour to the airline by sparing its overburdened staff at the airport counters of this work? Indeed, the boot is on the other leg---the fliers should be refunded a part of the fare for doing it themselves.
Stung by the relentless criticism, the airline has started quibbling — we never meant to charge for web check-in per se in but only charge those who simultaneously also sought preferred seats. Naturally, the Ministry of Civil Aviation suspects that there is more to it and has promised to examine the unbundled pricing practices of the airline.
Web check-in and zeroing in on best or optimal seats are part of the same exercise. Merely checking-in on the net without choosing the seats neither benefits the flier nor the airline — both have to sweat it out again at the airline counter in the airport for assignment of seats.
Indigo’s recent misadventure is of a piece akin to what it has been doing for quite some time now with online ticket bookers — charging convenience fees for online booking. Of course, it is not alone in this act of avarice and irrationality. But that does not absolve it of guilt.
27/11/18 S Murlidharan/First Post
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In the not too distant past, Indigo — hailed as the only airline to make profits along with of course Lufthansa, though of late its fortunes have taken a beating — reported a loss at Rs 652.13 crore in the three months ended September 2018, compared to a profit of Rs 551.56 crore a year ago, mainly as it was impacted by high fuel costs and rupee depreciation. But that was inevitable in its very nature of the business where it is dependent on imported crude that is converted by Indian refineries into aviation fuel; and foreign exchange to pay for its aircraft whether taken on lease or outright purchase apart from spares. Both relate to exchange rate.
Bad times, however, should not call for knee-jerk reactions though. That is not the hallmark of greatness. But Indigo has done just that. Its decision to charge for web check-in smacks of pettiness and irrationality.
Why should a flier pay for web check-in when the truth is he is doing a favour to the airline by sparing its overburdened staff at the airport counters of this work? Indeed, the boot is on the other leg---the fliers should be refunded a part of the fare for doing it themselves.
Stung by the relentless criticism, the airline has started quibbling — we never meant to charge for web check-in per se in but only charge those who simultaneously also sought preferred seats. Naturally, the Ministry of Civil Aviation suspects that there is more to it and has promised to examine the unbundled pricing practices of the airline.
Web check-in and zeroing in on best or optimal seats are part of the same exercise. Merely checking-in on the net without choosing the seats neither benefits the flier nor the airline — both have to sweat it out again at the airline counter in the airport for assignment of seats.
Indigo’s recent misadventure is of a piece akin to what it has been doing for quite some time now with online ticket bookers — charging convenience fees for online booking. Of course, it is not alone in this act of avarice and irrationality. But that does not absolve it of guilt.
27/11/18 S Murlidharan/First Post
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