Though the promotional offers have helped the airlines increase the buzz, industry insiders claim that the fliers who actually managed to win a deep-discounted ticket are barely a handful.
With the peak travel season well over, domestic airlines in India have begun luring fliers with so-called deep discounts.
Though the promotional offers have helped the airlines increase the buzz, industry insiders claim that the fliers who actually managed to win a deep-discounted ticket are barely a handful.
On Wednesday, hours after SpiceJet announced its 'monsoon sale' offer for Rs 444 per ticket, rival IndiGo came out with similar offer with fares staring Rs 789. A couple of days back, full-service carrier Jet Airways had announced up to 20% discount in economy flights.
AT A GLANCE
- Rs 444 – SpiceJet tickets starting price
- Rs 789 -- IndiGo offer
- Rs 800 -- Jet Airways tickets
- Rs 1,499 -- Air India offer
The fare war was renewed when IndiGo, AirAsia and SpiceJet announced discounted fares targeted to create impulsive demand when vacation season ends and school and colleges reopen.
After the second fortnight of May, while SpiceJet offered one-way fares starting Rs 511, IndiGo offered tickets for Rs 800. AirAsia India, announcing its two-year celebrations, halved the fares on several routes. Not to be left behind, Air India came up with 'super offer' of Rs 1,499 fare on its domestic routes.
Concerned that passengers are not getting the promised discounted fares on the offer, Air Passengers Association of India (APAI), a passenger body on Wednesday made a complaint with the Ministry of Civil aviation (MoCA) and aviation regulator DGCA complaining about the advertising 'gimmick' related to SpiceJet monsoon offer, where fares starting from Rs 444 are available for those booking between June 22 and 26. "We received several complaints from fliers who said they could not get tickets at the offer rate as early as 10:20 am on Wednesday. Not only SpiceJet but all the airlines are indulging in similar activities from time to time. I am still not able to understand what purpose does it serve for the airlines to come up with screaming full page advertisement in national dailies but not offering the same to the fliers" said Sudhakara Reddy, president of APAI.
" We strongly believe that these are nothing but gimmicks and the gullible passengers are being fooled and taken for a ride" Reddy said.
Asked why did not he raised the issue earlier and against other airlines, Reddy said, "Frankly, we did not get any complaints from the passengers since a long time. Since we have received the complaints now, we are taking action on their behalf."
A SpiceJet spokesperson said that the allegation is completely baseless as the sale of tickets under a limited inventory are available on first-come-first-serve basis. "SpiceJet is ready to share the names of the bona fide customers with DGCA with complete booking details for further verification." said the spokesperson.
Air India, IndiGo and Jet refused to comment on the issue.
APAI claims that it had last year written to the authorities when many of the competing airlines allegedly indulged in cartelisation of airfares by coming up with almost similar figures of low fares within hours of each other.
Industry insiders claim that usually the seat offered at the lowest bracket are not more than 5% and that too on the low occupancy flights or routes. " The majority of the fliers therefore remain dejected on not getting the lowest offered fare." said Iqbal Mulla, president of aviation and tourism consultancy group Global Tourism Council (GTC) and ex-president of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI).
"Also, airlines are not required to share the data on the number of seats sold in each price bracket with the aviation regulator and hence the marketing gimmick is rampant," said Mulla.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "airlines")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}