IndiGo passengers have claimed they were charged high cancellation fees after the airline canceled several flights due to rising tensions between India and Pakistan.
Multiple customers voiced their frustration on social media, accusing the airline of imposing unfair charges even when the cancellations were initiated by IndiGo.
IndiGo Passengers Allege Steep Fees After Flight Cancellations By Carrier
One customer shared a screenshot on X showing that IndiGo charged ₹8,111 in cancellation fees for a cancelled Chandigarh to Mumbai flight.
The customer called it “blatant thuggery,” stating that other airlines refunded nearly the full fare for cancellations linked to the India-Pakistan situation.
The customer revealed that he had spent over ₹10,000 on the flight but received only ₹2,050 as a refund, despite the cancellation not being his fault.
He criticized IndiGo for deducting 80% of the booking fee and questioned the legality of this action by tagging the Ministry of Civil Aviation, asking: “is this allowed?”
IndiGo responded by claiming that it had processed a “full refund” from its side and suggested that the issue may have stemmed from the third-party booking platform used by the customer.
IndiGo clarified: “Sir, following our interaction, we’d like to reassure you that the full refund for your booking has been processed from our end. Based on the screenshot shared, it appears the information pertains to your travel agent’s platform. We kindly request you to reach out to them directly for assistance in claiming the refund.”
IndiGo Waives Some Fees, But Complaints Over Cancellations Persist
The airline also stated that it had waived cancellation fees for certain affected flights until May 22.
Despite this waiver, social media continued to see a flood of complaints from passengers of IndiGo and Air India following multiple flight cancellations.
A user named Vibhor posted that his Patna to Chandigarh flight was rescheduled by IndiGo, yet he was charged over ₹8,000 under “Airline cancellation charges.”
Vibhor questioned the need for so much effort to secure a full refund for a flight cancelled by the airline, and urged the Ministry of Civil Aviation to intervene.
On May 9, IndiGo announced that all flights to and from the following airports were cancelled until midnight on May 10: Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh, Dharamshala, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Kishangarh, and Rajkot.
The airline also cancelled flights to and from Jammu, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Leh, Srinagar, and Rajkot airports for May 13.
