Airlines look to make a killing, without informing you of extra charges

New Delhi: Airlines are scrambling to charge for small things like priority seats, check-in at counters where you may not need to stand in a long queue and some have already lowered baggage allowance for domestic travel. But here’s the funny part: no one is willing to talk about these charges.

If you are flying an LCC this week, take a few minutes to browse the airline’s website and see which services are being offered for what charges, else you may get an unpleasant surprise at the airport.

[caption id=“attachment_776687” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Many airlines have still not filed the mandatory information on these charges with aviation regulator DGCA. Reuters[/caption]

Not only are new charges not being adequately advertised, many airlines have still not filed the mandatory information on these charges with aviation regulator DGCA.

More from Business

Hyundai India’s Rs 27,870 crore IPO oversubscribed by 2.28X, largely driven by institutional investors How Indian fintech startups are driving Malaysia’s UPI-like digital payments revolution

IndiGo, the country’s largest airline, has advertised on its website about preferred seat charges of Rs 500, Rs 200 and Rs 100. The first one is for seats in rows 1, 2, 12 and 13 (where more leg space is available), the second charge is for all other window and aisle seats and the last one for all middle seats. Confusing? The question that may arise in you mind is: are all seats available for a charge which is over and above the booking amount? A source in aviation regulator DGCA says IndiGo may be asked to specifically mention that the charges apply only if a flyer prefers and asks for a particular seat, not if he is okay with whichever seat is available at the time of boarding.

IndiGo is already charging for pre-booking hot meals, like other LCCs. Leading travel portals tell us it also offers priority check in and a chance to avoid long queues and check in counters for Rs 200. But where is the information on all these charges?

Impact Shorts

More Shorts

Chennai Ranks #1 in Challan Checks: ACKO Insights for Smarter Car and Two Wheeler Insurance Decisions

Tata Harrier EV vs Mahindra XEV 9e: Design and road presence compared

From this weekend, SpiecJet has begun offering what it calls an upgrade to ‘SpiceJet Max’ where you get four services for Rs 500: priority checkin, priority baggage delivery, hot meals (or a sandwich if on a Q400 aircraft from SpiceJet) and seat selection. So what SpiceJet has done is bundle up all these services to charge just Rs 500! If a flyer were to seek the same four services on IndiGo, he may have to shell out at least Rs 650.

Says Sunny Sodhi Chief Operating Officer - Corporate Travel & Sr. VP Air Product at yatra.com “SpiceJet is sweetening the deal for passengers and this may be just an introductory price”. So it is possible that once SpiceJet evaluates the response of customers to the nominal Rs 500 charge, it may raise the prices or separate the four services.

The website of GoAir also does not inform people about any services which are available for a charge though this airline also offers pre-booked hot meals etc for a charge. Many of us would not mind paying for these services, their availability has not been advertised till now and even leading travel portals were unaware of SpiceJet Max and new charges till this morning.

Air India has begun implementing its new baggage policy from today, where economy class passengers on short haul domestic routes will now be allowed only 15 kg free check in baggage and charged Rs 200-250 per kg extra. Jet Airways has also announced a similar baggage policy.

Then, a story in Business Standard yesterday spoke of IndiGo thinking of offering lounge services for Rs 600; lounge access would be available two hours before the flight departure. Late last month, the ministry of civil aviation allowed airlines to ‘unbundle’ services but specified which services can be charged for. It also said the DGCA must be informed about each new charge. The decision of the ministry is expected to open new revenue streams for loss making airlines. According to the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, the Indian airlines are set to earn ancillary revenues of $500 million a year after unbundling of services.