Once again air travel mess

Last week, i took 2 days leave along the long weekend and went for a long round trip (Delhi -> Bangalore -> Virudhunagar -> Tirunelveli -> Chennai -> Delhi). Attended marriage reception of Bala and attended Jagan's marriage.So could not blog for a while.

Since i had planned my trip in last moment, i booked tickets through a famous low cost airlines. I had booked my flight to BLR from DEL at 7:40 pm. The day before departure, i got a SMS alert that my flight is re-scheduled to 9:30 pm (I wondered how they could predict the delay of departure of flight before 36 hrs). On the day of travel morning, i got another SMS alert that my flight is schedule to 10:20 pm.I was really puzzled whether to leave office after lunch (to catch the flight at 7:40 pm) or in the evening. Since i am not sure about SMS alerts, i managed to reach the airport at 7:30 pm. While i am going to airport in cab, i got another alert that my flight is re-scheduled to 11:05 pm. I am now damn sure that i am going to wait in airport for a long time. when i reached the counter, they told that only i could check-in my baggage after time of departure is confirmed. In the mean time, they announced that "They regret for delay in departure, this is due to delay in arrival of incoming flight". While all the airlines are keeping their timings, we are the one waiting for the flight whose departure is not confirmed yet. Even we are not sure that whether we will fly or our flight will be cancelled. At last we are allowed to check-in our baggage. I had word with the attendant , he told that they are expecting aircraft from BLR at 11:25 pm , once it landed, then they could take off at 11:55 pm. I was astonished to hear that their aircraft is covering almost 10 destination daily.(really wondered..!! how come second hand aircraft can really fly continuously more than 20 hours daily)

There was another interesting incident happened. In our flight, there was family of 15 people who had finished marriage of their son in DEL and taking the new Dulhan (newly married girl) to BLR. When they announced the boarding for our flight at 11:45 at gate no 1, everyone formed the queue over there. In the mean time, one person from the marriage group tried to intrude the queue in the front, telling that they need adjacent seats as they were 15 people (as no seat number in boarding passes). The airlines attendant requested him to come in queue, but chaos started when the few people from the marriage group started arguing. So flight attendant gave another announcement to form queue in the gate no 2, so all started boarding through that. But no one the marriage group boarded, they challenged how they could take off flight without them.After arguing for 20 minutes, they boarded the flight(Really pissed off with attitude of the people, we all were waiting for last 4 hours , whats going to happen if we boarded after 10 minutes.).Atlast our flight departed to BLR at 12:35 am. I reached the BLR at 3:00 am and knocked home at 3:45 am (felt like i am returning from abroad .... :-) ). Everyone asked me whether i came by flight or by bus.

Same thing repeated during my return journey from Chennai to Delhi in same airlines. My flight was scheduled at 4:10 pm, i was happy that i didn't receive any SMS alert (Bomb..!!). After reaching airport, it was announced our flight will depart at 5:45 pm. I checked in my baggage and finished my security check. Then gotta next SMS Alert that our flight is scheduled to 7:40pm. I felt in my inner mind that things are going to repeat like my onward journey. Around 7:15 pm,our flight name was displayed along with gate number for boarding in the display board for departing flights. As soon as it was displayed, everyone was stand in the queue. We waited until 7:45 pm , no official from the concern airlines came near. They announced after few minutes that our flight is re-scheduled to 9:40 pm with same announcement that "They regret for delay in departure, this is due to delay in arrival of incoming flight". Most of passenger were annoyed and was about to trash the airline officials. Few foreigners watching the chaos told that airlines were crazy. One of co-passenger told that he asked his family to wait for him in airport, to attend the marriage in town near by delhi. One foreigner told he had to catch the train at 10:30 pm from New delhi Railway station. At last i managed to reach delhi at 2:35 am.

I was really fed up with this airlines, so decided not to opt for it even though they give free tickets. Their claim that they had simpli-fly but actually they made everyone to fedup-fly.

I think i had booked my tickets at wrong time. :-) It was gr8 experience.