A representative image of an aerial view of Bengaluru.
Credit: iStcok Photo
Nearly a week since the start of the IndiGo crisis and amid continued flight cancellations, tour operators and travel agencies in Bengaluru find themselves facing uncertainty.
Some operators that DH spoke to said the past week was nothing but a cycle of rebooking/rescheduling tickets, fielding angry calls and managing anxious customers.
Karthik, manager, Nesara Tours LLP, said for his company, the scale of disruption caused by the crisis has been unprecedented. “In the last week, more than 20 flights that we booked were cancelled,” he told DH.
“Some of our customers who were supposed to return to the city on Friday, were stranded after their flight was cancelled. They only managed to get back two days later, that too after we booked them on a different flight,” said Karthik, who added that although IndiGo had rescheduled their flight for Tuesday, it wasn’t confirmed.
What frustrated agents and passengers is that in most cases of flight cancellations, passengers or operators had to pay out of their own pockets for accommodations and other arrangements.
Adding to the turmoil is the sudden spike in fares by other airlines, making alternative arrangements expensive.
“Bengaluru to Delhi was earlier Rs 9,000–Rs 10,000. Now it is Rs 20,000–25,000 on other flights,” Karthik said. “It is not easy to rebook customers as they have to pay extra.”
Suhas, manager of Evergreen Tours says IndiGo’s customer support has been practically unreachable. “No response from IndiGo. They don’t pick up on customer service,” he said. He added that they will continue to temporarily pacify their clients by reassuring them that things will be resolved soon as they fear they might lose business.
Future anxieties
Not all operators have faced immediate disruption, but many are bracing for the impact.
Shamant, proprietor of Sanman Travels, said this week they were “thankfully” spared major trouble as they had few IndiGo bookings. But the relief, he admits, is temporary.
“We have already booked for December-end and January,” he said. “There is anxiety because if this is not rectified, and if it recurs later, it will badly affect us. Entire trips will be cancelled,” notes Shamant.
Unlike ticketing-only agencies, his firm handles full-package tours, including transportation, hotels and logistics. One cancelled flight risks derailing the entire itinerary.
“We are definitely worried about future bookings,” he said.