KINGFISHER AIRLINES ILLEGAL HANDLING.
I booked a return flight on Kingfisher Airline; Kolkata-Bangkok-Kolkata. The departure booking was confirmed for the 17th August which I took to Bangkok. The return flight was confirmed for 7th September which was my scheduled return date.
After I had been in Thailand for ten days, I received a mail from Kingfisher stating that their return flight to Kolkata on the 7th September has been cancelled. They did not give the reason of their cancelation nor given me any other arrangement for getting me back to Kolkata on my scheduled date of my departure back to India. After waiting for them for a long time, I wrote them few emails to the guestcare on how they will get me back to Kolkata. However, I did not get any reply from them.
Here are few mails I sent to them by which no response came from Kingfisher:
Sent on 31st August:
“Hello, My booking ref. number is OTWZUH.
I am booked to fly from Bangkok to Kolkata on the 7th September. I'm currently in Thailand. I just received a mail from your office stating you have cancelled the flight on the 7th Sept. 2010 from Bangkok without any explanation. I need to know from you very urgently what alternate arrangement you are making for me to return to Kolkata on the 7th Sept., as booked on my ticket.By altering my departure date from Bangkok on earlier dates or later dates except the 7th, will be unacceptable for me as it will result in severe financial hardship for me.
Please reply immediately to this great problem you are causing me. I expect Kingfisher Airline to be a reliable airline.”
2nd mail sent on Sept. 1st:
“Its been quite a while since I wrote regarding my problem and I have not heard from you. Can you please let me know the status of my query? ”
3rd mail sent on Sept. 4rd:
“Dear Guest Care,
This is extremely urgent situation and I have written you few times on this already. My booking ref. #OTWZUH, is scheduled to depart Bangkok to Kolkata on the 7th Sep., however you have cancelled the flight for no apparent reason. I have written repeatedly about the alternate arrangement you are making to getting me back to India, but no reply from you. I called your telephone helpline couple of times at a great expense from Thailand, what they are offering me is to return to Kolkata through Delhi on the 8th Sept, by which I have to spend a night in Delhi for the flight back to Kolkata.
Now, your call centre absolutely refused to cover any cost involved in the departure that will be incurred such as extra night in Bangkok, and the night that will be spent in Delhi before catching a flight to Kolkata on the 9th. The alternative they've offered me is a partial refund of my ticket, which does not even come to half the cost I will pay to fly back to Kolkata on Jet Airways on the 7th.
In order for me to cover the cost of flying back to Kolkata on 7th Sept., on Jet Airways, I will need the full refund of the entire amount I paid for the ticket and not just the partial refund of Bangkok - Kolkata portion. Failure for to do this will result in my filing a severe court case on your company.
You cannot just threat your passengers like this. No other airlines will refuse to make any amend to distress they have caused the customers if they cancel their flight.
Your immediate reply is extremely urgent as I have only few days left in Thailand.”
All the above mails I sent to Kingfisher Airlines did not elicit any response from them. Its apparently a useless airline despite making wide proclamations on their customer satisfactions.
When I finally contacted their office in Bangkok, they refused to make arrangement with any other Airline that could take me to Kolkata on the 7th September. They first offered me to return to Kolkata via their flight that goes first to Delhi and then to Kolkata. The flight will only leave on the 8th September, which means I have to spend an extra night in Bangkok, and the flight through Delhi will also depart for Kolkata on the following day, which means spending an extra night in Delhi. The amazing thing is Kingfisher refused to pay for the cost of staying extra night in Bangkok as well as the cost that will involve in staying in Delhi for the flight to Kolkata. When I said I don’t want to travel to Kolkata by spending an extra night in Delhi, they said, they will offer me a return to Kolkata through a Mumbai flight, and that would only depart 4 days from my schedule date of departures. In this case I would have to spend 3 extra nights in Bangkok. In all these, Kingfisher refused to cover any cost associated with my delayed departure to India, which was entirely caused by them. Seeing no alternative as I was in desperate situation, I had to accept the departure through Mumbai on the 10th September, by which I had to struggle for my hotel and food costs for those 4 extra days in Bangkok. It is the most harrowing experiences of my life. I never expect an airline to be so irresponsible. Every person I talked to about all said its illegal for any airline to behalf.
This action of Kingfisher Airlines has caused me emotional and financial damage. I am seeking a strong redress for this inhuman action of the Kingfisher Airline.
Sincerely,
Ishmael Adebisi
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