It was experience of a hell...nothing less than that I am telling you. I always avoided traveling by Indian Airlines for their high cost and cheap service policies. But had to bear them on few occasions under the compulsion of suitability of time and availability of ticket. I always carried some bad memories traveling by this airlines and last time while coming back from India with family to Doha, it was traumatic. I have been avoiding to write about it as my patriotic conscious does not allow me to badmouth my own country's sick beaurocracy, but the sense of being a responsible citizen has always been instigating me to tell you my experience of traveling by one of our national carriers.
I had gone India few days ago to bring back my family here in Doha. My company (Aljazeera International) had bought me a PTA (Prepaid Ticket Advice) for my family relocation. The PTA was bought through regency travels, doha which is authorized by Indian Airlines. After receiving the PTA, I went to Indian Airlines main office in Doha to reconfirm my booking. The official over there confirmed my booking and assured me for a hasslefree journey. The itinerary of the PTA was from Ranchi-Delhi-Dubai-Doha. All by Indian Airlines except Dubai to Doha, which was by Qatar Airways. At Ranchi Airport, Indian Airlines boarding counter officer recognized my PTA and issued me a boarding pass without even thinking twice. He gave me a printout of my itinerary and PTA no. also so that I can show it at Delhi Airport for further journey.
I reached Indira Gandhi International Airport at Delhi almost two hours prior to my flight to Dubai. Straightaway I went to boarding counter to collect my boarding pass. The officer sitting over there gave me a puzzled look when I gave him my PTA number. He asked me, "e ka hai? (what is this ?) " Without challenging his professional knowledge I told him that this is a PTA number which is issued by airlines after receiving the payment for a booking. He just needs to enter this PTA number in his computer in order to see my booking and process my boarding pass. I requested him to do it quickly as I had to stand in long cue for immigration also before i get to board and I was literally having no time for any further queries regarding definition and origin of PTA. After giving me a hard look he asked his fellow officer,"joshiji, e PTA ka hota hai bhai? e sahib ek number lekar aye hain aur boarding pass mang rahe hain (joshiji, what is this PTA? this gentleman has come up with some kind of number and demanding for a boarding pass in lieu). Joshiji replied, " e-ticket ki tarah hi hota hai. lekin hamara system ise recognize nahi karta. inko to ticket kharidna hoga ( It's similar to e-ticket. But our system does not recognize it. he will have to buy a fresh ticket). I was surprised and pained at the same time. Only because they do not know how to find a booking by entering a PTA number, I am being compelled to buy a fresh ticket which is going to cost me a good amount. I was being made a scapegoat of somebody's ill-information. Frustrated by the situation I tried to argue with them but all went in vein. They kept on making sad faces and showing their pity on me. Finally when I started getting angry with their bad manners and sick attitude, they put me across to the boarding-in-charge. all over again I tried to explain the irony of situation that if the same PTA number can be recognized in Ranchi, then why not in Delhi, specially when it is a connecting flight! He said that in Delhi their computers are yet to be updated. therefore they do not accept PTA numbers. Only thing they accept and recognize is a proper ticket. Why then Indian Airlines let PTA gets issued for Delhi boarding? Avoiding any further questions he went on suggesting that I must buy a fresh ticket in order to catch the current flight. In pursuit to be a kind person he even offered to arrange a quick ticket if i wish to buy it. Seeing the situation getting hopeless I exceeded to his offer. I am sure he must have got a good commission on that high priced ticket.
Somehow I managed to get into the flight on time. But things kept on getting worse. None of the cabin staff serving the passengers were less than 50 years in age. We would have been obliged to serve them in stead of them serving us. It was pity to see a 55 years old fat man acting reluctantly on safety instructions. Passengers were feeling ashamed in putting across their requests to these elderly staffs. Staffs were too lazy ( i doubt deef even) to listen to any requests properly. for example I requested for a blanket for my 9 months old child. Old lady first gave a deef ear to my request, but when I kept on repeating for it she brought me a pillow and asked me to manage with it as she can not find a blanket in the store. Now can anybody tell me how to manage with a pillow when you need a blanket?
Somehow cursing our luck we landed in Doha and then worse of it happened. While transiting us in Dubai, Indian Airlines lost our luggage. All our three bags were lost and we were left with one small handbag. After this I lost my patience and only thing coming out of my mouth was swearing. Qatar Airways officials calmed me down and promised to track my luggage as soon as possible. They could locate it only after two days. Luckly we had some spare clothes for the kid in our handbag. My wife managed with my clothes in meantime.
Here back in Doha my company is trying to get reimbursement of the money they had paid to Indian Airlines and Qatar Airways for my PTA. Indian Airlines has declared the PTA unused and hope I will get back my money soon. But who will pay for the harassment and deep frustration we had to go through due to the inability and sick attitude of their staffs? I am pretty sure that everyday hundreds of passengers must be suffering in the same way as i did and not getting even a chance to express their pain. This is my desperate attempt to make my friends and the readers of my blog aware of the situation out there. I will try my best to avoid Indian Airlines for my further journeys, but if you are the one who is going to commute next by it...please take special care of yourself...and your luggage too...
