IndiGo, SpiceJet passengers will have to pay extra for web check-in services; flyers express annoyance on social media

After hiking baggage charges a few months ago, passengers of no-frills carrier IndiGo and SpiceJet will have to pay for web check-in, as the airlines have revised their policy. IndiGo’s lowest seat fee is Rs 100 and SpiceJet’s Rs 99. Such charges will help to boost ancillary revenue of the airlines, according to a report in Business Standard. Ancillary revenue consists of charges like baggage fees, seat selection fees, cancellation charges. [caption id=“attachment_4404141” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] “As per our revised policy all seats are chargeable for web check-in. Alternatively you may check-in at the airport for free. Seats will be assigned as per the availability,” IndiGo said in a series of tweets on Sunday. The Gurugram-headquartered airline reported its first quarterly loss at Rs 651 crore in July-September period amid high fuel cost and rupee depreciation. The revised policy is effective from 14 November, it said. Accordingly, IndiGo will charge between Rs 100-800 for such selection online, depending upon the position of the seat. For web check-in of a first-row seat, a passenger will have to pay as much as Rs 800 extra, while a non-reclining seat in row 12, which is next to the emergency exit, will cost an additional Rs 600 when selected online. A middle seat in the last row will cost Rs 100 more, as per the revised charges. Earlier, the budget carrier charged only for particular types of seats like a window or aisle seat or seat having extra legroom when passenger opted for online selection. Passengers have been expressing their disappointment to the airlines on social media:

Hey @IndiGo6E, why charge a fee for selecting any random seat on #WebCheckin? Not even a premium seat either. See sample here. pic.twitter.com/0CD6AxBeXB

— Vijay Raj (@rajvj) June 24, 2017

A passenger expressed annoyance having to pay for web check-in.

It is really annoying to hav booked via @flyspicejet #webcheckin is suppose to be a process to ease your wrk & our time. Even after trying to web checkin at the earlier stage, i have 2 pay 2 get seats together with fellow travelers. It looks like al seats r paid @Ashok_Gajapathi pic.twitter.com/EUASvS1cKQ

— Mittul Parikh (@mittul_parikh) December 12, 2017

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Baggage charges hiked in June In June this year, IndiGo, GoAir and SpiceJet increased baggage charges beyond the standard limit of 15 kilograms. IndiGo revised it charges to Rs 400 per kilogram for every kilo beyond 15 kilograms which a passenger has to pay at the airport. In case of pre-bookings, the airline charge would be Rs 1,900 for excess baggage of 5 kilogram, Rs 3,800 for extra 10 kilogram, Rs 5,700 for 15 kilogram extra and 11,400 for extra 30 kilogram. When it had revised the pre-booking charges last August, they were Rs 1,425 for extra five kilogram, Rs 2,850 for 10 kilogram, Rs 4,275 for 15 extra kilogram and Rs 8,550 for extra 30 kilogram. The revised charges affected by GoAir from Saturday is identical to that of IndiGo, according to the information available on its website. Sources in SpiceJet said the new pre-booking charges for 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 kilogram in domestic sector are Rs 1,600; Rs 3,200; Rs 4,800; Rs 6,400 and Rs 9,600, respectively. On revising the baggage fees, IndiGo said that if customers are booked on Lite Fare report at the airport with baggage to be checked-in, then they will have to pay Rs 200 to avail 15 kilogram baggage allowance. Jet Airways too announced new baggage rules, allowing only one check-in baggage weighing 15 kilogram or less for its economy class passengers effective from 15 July 2018. Premiere class passengers are allowed two check-in bags each less than 15 kilograms.