Ridikulus!!!

Why does low cost mean low quality? Why I try and figure that one out.. I will enumerate all reasons why you should think and think again before deciding on flying Air Deccan - its low cost factor apart.

The airline encourages booking tickets online and uptil a month ago (when I attempted to book a ticket) their servers pereptually seemed down. Finally got the ticket done by going there in person! Then came the fateful day. The day I was to travel. I reached the airport a little over an hour before the flight. Two check in counters open, trying to check in people for three flights, all currently boaring.

A mad scramble ensues and somehow everyone thinks its acceptable to jump lines and pretend their need was greater than anyone else's who was foolish enough to stand in line. Even security check crew prefers chatting amongst themselves instead of clearing serpentine queues.

Check in happens after innumerable fights - more of not letting people get ahead of me in the line (why do people shut up when somebody jumps the line?? Is your time that abundant that you can spend it standing in lines?) and requesting the crew to hurry up.. it was 8.45 pm and the flight was to take off at 9.20 pm. But what I was not aware of is that apparently Air Deccan flights never take off on time.

While checking in I was also made to shell out an additional Rs 500. At that moment I sent a prayer hoping my luggage would follow me from Mumbai to Delhi. Fateful thought that was! Everything else seemed ok and just I was going to heave a sigh of relief, boarding began and an entirely new mayhem ensued.

Air Deccan seems to think that not alloting seats is a good way to .. I dont know what.. ensure that people remain sprightly. Most people refused to budge from the doors to the transit buses only because they wanted the "first" seat?!! For the first time I have seen people run, across the tarmac, with suitcases in hand, towards the air craft. Reminded me of people trying to board an unreserved compartment in a train..

Its a sight - how man, woman, young old, clutching books, food, and other assorted sundry items run towards the aircraft... At one point I was ready to sit with the crew or in the loo, if required, but not run like this for just a seat. Some how low cost, I think, allowed the passengeers to be generally badly behaved. Noisy men who though it would be great fun to try out different seats in the aircraft, to haggling over the price of a cup of tea (steep at Rs 20 for a pathetic excuse for tea) to loitering in gangways to just being contrary.

Its not just the passengers who thought anything goes, but even the crew who does not really care. Unfriendly, ineffecient at most points and blase about the whole procedure. My clincher was, of course, delayed baggage. At 1 am in the night, the person on the help desk seems so calm and without checking was sure my bag got left behind in Mumbai, could I please describe it? I was like, at least find out whether it made it here or not?

"So Madam when was it manufactured?" Aghast, I say I did not have a clue and how the hell did it matter?

"Is it a soft top or a hard top?" "It is a haversack" I tell him tremulously. "But does it have hard or a soft top?" At this point I want to strangle him.

"So madam, is the bag locked?" Yes! "And the key?" is with me. "Ok so it is not with the bag." I almost ask him .. you are kidding me right?

"Can we have you name, address and telephone number?" I was already irritated since for baggage that I was made to pay extra and that had not come with me, and I was being asked to collect it from the airport. "Because it is the airline policy not to deliver luggage" (a question he obviously answers a lot I could tell). Just to make myself feel better I only scribbled my number - why would he need my address then?

Of course the airline did not call me up and after following up now I have to go pick up my bag and I hope for the airline's sake it is in the condition I gave it to them or god help them. I know this is a rant.. but am really upset. Just because you claim to be a low cost airline, is being polite also out of ur purview? You can be efficient and able and still be a low cost carrier. I refuse to believe that not have an efficient crew ensures that your low cost carrier status.

In me, yesterday, you lost a customer and you may not care but I know I will never recommend your airline to anyone.