Hi!
This is regarding my travel itinerary "XXXXXX" and "YYYYYY" which has been changed without any intimation. (Since PNR no is privileged information, I cant reveal it here)
I'm Amresh Anand (King Gold Club Member: 085163503; you claim for priority bookings for them) and I've booked these flights almost 2 months back. Just before taking the printout of these tickets last week, I found changes in the flight schedules. The changes are so much which completely ruins my plan and certainly not agreeable to me. Yet, before that I'd like to ask few things:
1) Why these changes has not been informed earliest. I didn't get any SMS/CALL/Mail confirmation. (It’s been changed twice, I never got any information).
2) Do you ask customers before doing changes in their travel plan from your side? It seems you don’t. Perhaps you change it first and later you ask them to accommodate, isn't?
3) How many changes should you consider is reasonable? I guess usually 30 min on an average. Now look at the changes done in my plans. The flight from Bangalore is taking off 4 hour early morning and one hop in Hyderabad and similarly the return flight is departing 3 hour late, reaching 5 hour late in night, having a hop in Hyderabad.
4) Why do you think I'd booked these flights 02 months back (if with the current timings) given others available options with more proper timings and then almost similar price.
5) Okay, so I don't like these timings. So what? Well, I can get the refunds in full only to book other flight almost 4 time costly which I could have gotten cheaper if booked early. But I couldn't, because the changes happen almost at last moment, when I 'm almost ready to fly with all my journey plans (and other connecting tickets and Taxis booked). These tickets/plans need to be changed too. That means this change is very-very costly and sort of unaffordable to me. And I've to bear it because KF is not going to pay for it.
Now here is my theory. KF overbooks the flights, especially in festival seasons. People having booked long ago (hence paid less for the tickets) get their itinerary changed and forced to go on some creepy timings. If, someone wishes to cancel, whoa, it’s a bonus for KF. You refund the small amount and you've this ticket available for sell at premium. I asked few people about this theory and they kind of laughed at me. They said, it’s not only the KF but the bigger the airline, more they are into such practices. I’d like to know from you:
§ is it fair to do so, as you've all rights reserved to do such things?
§ is it good not to inform before and after the changes?
§ is it honest just to return the refund and not bearing the cost of one's plan change?
Changes should be for better and nice, not for bad. I talked to your customer care which wasn't even supportive. You dream to take the KF-airlines far ahead, but certainly not this way where you've to wait 10 to 20 minutes for get you turn to speak with a care executive only to get the answers which is annoying. It can’t happen.
Maybe I'm just one irked customer and you can have the stats of many satisfied customer. However it takes years to build the rapport and only seconds to destroy it. Bad news flows fast and doesn’t require any proof.
Hope you'll suggest the best to me as I really don’t know what to do?
Regards,
Amresh Anand
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