My Recent Experience with Indigo Airlines – A Disappointing Journey
Today, on 10th November 2024, I was traveling from Kochi (COK) to Singerbil (IXA,Agartala) with a layover in Bangalore (BLR) on flight 6E915 with Indigo Airlines. I’ve flown multiple times over the past month, but today’s experience was by far the worst, and I hold Indigo Airlines fully accountable.
My flight was scheduled to depart at 7:20 am. I arrived at the check-in counter at 6:30 am with two friends, just two minutes past the cutoff time. We requested some flexibility for this minor delay, but Indigo staff showed no leniency. After some discussion, they offered a solution: one of us could take the next available flight, while the other two could continue as planned. We accepted this compromise. Two boarding passes were issued for my friends, while I agreed to stay back and take the next flight, which was scheduled two hours later.
However, after 15 minutes, I received a call from my friends. Despite having boarding passes, they were denied entry at the gate due to a five-minute delay at security, making them “late” at 7:05 am for the 7:20 am flight. This decision left us all stranded and frustrated.
Here are my key concerns: 1. Human Consideration: I understand the importance of punctuality, especially for flights, and acknowledge my delay. However, we are all human and sometimes circumstances prevent perfect time management. I accepted my initial mistake, hoping for a bit of leniency, but instead, Indigo was rigid about two minutes. We agreed to their proposed solution, only for my friends to face yet another obstacle despite holding valid boarding passes. 2. Violation of Boarding Rules: According to Indian aviation rules, once a boarding pass has been issued and is prior to 25 mins from departure, the passengers should be allowed to board the flight, as the airline has accepted them for travel. Despite this, my friends were denied entry at the gate. 3. New Policies on Seat Selection: Indigo now charges for all seat selections, preventing customers from completing web check-in without paying an additional fee. This feels like an unnecessary restriction and hidden charge for passengers.
The real issue, however, seems to lie deeper. Indigo overbooked the flight and likely did not have adequate space for all passengers and their luggage. It appears they seized this minor delay as an opportunity to bump us from the flight, which was ultimately canceled.
I’m sharing this experience to caution others. Indigo Airlines has lost my respect today. I hope these practices are reviewed and improved, and I urge others to consider alternative airlines if possible to avoid facing similar issues.
Indigo Airlines, you have disappointed a loyal customer, and I hope to see changes to prevent such experiences in the future. I, for one, will not be flying with Indigo again and hope others will consider this experience before choosing their next airline.