Dec 25, 2005 03:34 AM
1771 Views
(Updated Dec 25, 2005 03:34 AM)
I was one of the most regular customers Air Deccan and also one of your staunchest proponents, upto and including supporting the lack of facilties provided on the ''Great Indian Dream'', when compared to full service airlines.
Events like today's one, however, force me to change my stance.
I was on flight DN662 from Bangalore to Delhi, with my wife and sub 2 year old daughter. Our flight took off about an hour after STD, which was intimated to us well in advance, given the fog situation in Delhi. Our flight was about to land in Delhi when the captain (Capt Behl) announced that due to the deteriorating conditions in Delhi, the aircraft was being diverted to Hyderabad!
We reached Hyderabad and your Hyderabad staff disclaimed all prior intimation of this diversion and there was no organization here.
I understand that this is a situation of Force Majeur and that legally, there is nothing that the airlines need to do for us poor passengers. However, I hope and pray they understand that business is going beyond signed Ts & Cs. It is about customer experience. Some provision could have been made for the passengers, atleast for the women traveling alone or with children.
As it is, there was no food even to buy in the aircraft. Add to that an extended flight of close to 5 hours and landing at a place where there was NOTHING organized. Not a recipe for positive customer experience.
I am keeping a photograph of my wife sleeping on the floor with my daughter on her knees to remind me that a cut service airline is more than what it means ... IT MEANS A NO SERVICE AIRLINE. I cannot afford to travel as frequently on full fare airlines, but I think the option is to clearly travel less frequently, rather than like the unwanted flotsam of society. I shudder to think if this had happened when my wife traveled without me or when my father traveled for his bypass surgery, BOTH of which I have trusted this airline with in the past.
RIP to the Great Indian Dream. Let us join hands to blow the last requeim for a shattered dream.
