KingFisher – Be Careful when you Fly It

King Fisher , as everyone claims is a great airline, good looking Airhostesses, and great food and service.I have never traveled on it, but when so many people say so , it must be good.

Their rates are higher in Apex than other Airlines, and I being cost conscious,I have never had the opportunity to travel on it.To travel to Mumbai for 75 minutes, I don’t like to pay a 1000 more to eat food or look at pretty girls.This time I went to Mumbai, I traveled by 3 rd AC trains.For me Lalloo is better these days than Vijay Malaya, as I saved more than 3500/- in the difference, one way.Well lets come to the point.

My friends are booked to go Jaipur Goa , 9 tickets, on 17^th June, that is tomorrow.They have reserved the hotels too over there.Tickets worth 44000, one way, they are going with their families to have a good time.

The flight is to leave jaipur at 10/50 am, and arrive Goa at 1 pm.They would be in the hotel at  say 2/30, and have the whole day to enjoy, having paid for the hotel in advance.The tickets were booked on 24^th May, and all arrangements made.

Yesterday, my friends were called by one Mr. Vimal Das from Mumbai, telling them that 15^th June is the last date the Kingfisher flight will fly from Jaipur to Goa, and from the 16^th the flights have been cancelled.My friends were stunned,and Vimal told them they can tak the full refund if they want to !

Now just imagine their plight.If they don’t go, their Hotel money is gone.So tomorrow they will take  2 Innovas to Delhi and travel 6 hours by Road  and board the Spice Jet flight to Goa around 2 pm, arrive Goa maybe 4 pm and hotel by 5/30 pm, starting from jaipur at 6 am.Whole day is lost.

Now they have to spend a total of  6000 extra on all the tickets, and with 2 taxis going to Delhi and again 2 taxis Delhi to Jaipur, it will cost them 16000 in Taxis alone.And that is besides the long hours they have to put, and 2 days lost of the hotel fun out of the 5 days that they have decided.

Is it not the duty  of KingFisher to take them to Delhi at their own  cost, and put them on their own flight to Goa or on Spice Jet, as it is not the fault of the passengers , as they had booked the tickets well in advance.But maybe the fine print will tell u that King fisher reserves the right  to cancel any flight anytime they wish, and you are on your own.

Jaipur Hyderabad – Sahara Airways

I will tell you my expierence of what happened .We booked two months in advance tickets for Jaipur Hyderabad direct flight from here, this is Dec 05, me wife and  daughter to attend a wedding.We reached the Airport and we were informed that from that day itself the Flight had been cancelled indefinetly, and we could take the full refund .Most took the refund, but we had to go.So Air Sahara took us by an AC Bus, around 17 of us to Delhi, and booked us in the 8 pm flight from Delhi to Hyderabad, giving us refreshments all the time .

On the return flight too, we got the first priority to Delhi, and as we landed, we were told to go to the Sahara Counter, where we were met by their Airport Manager Vikrant Kapoor.He was very kind and apologetic too.He booked for us a taxi for Jaipur, and told the driver to stop at Midway, and whatever we ate was to be paid by the taxi driver on behalf of Sahara.He just requested us to sign the Bill so that the Driver dosnt over charge them more.And more than a dozen private cabs were arranged for all of the passengers to Jaipur.

We were so touched by this wonderful gesture by Air Sahara,of whom people did not think much of.And their staff was so courteous to us, all the time telling us they are so sorry.

And look at Kingfisher Airlines , who leave the passenger to  fend for themselves.I want to know the power of blogs, whether King Fisher replies to my blog or not,and I am sure within this week they will contact me with their side of their story, which I will present to you all once again.

I always feel Indian Airlines is any day better.They allow u 30 kgs weight againt 20 kgs of KF , and if anything goes wrong they put u up in the hotels at their cost.And they are cheaper too on most sectors, and more reliable too

So guys and gals be very careful, this is what has happened to my friends and could very well happen to you.After all Vijay Mallaya can always say,

DID YOU NOT READ THE FINE PRINT.

Well Mr.Malaya, whether I read the fine print or not, a lot of people are going to read this print of Kamalji.Let us see the reach of this blog, and what the bloggers have to say of their experiences they have encountered with King Fisher and other Airlines.

KAMAL MAHTANI