The folly of flying Indian Airlines

Yesterday afternoon I met the Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, and other senior police officials to work out some of the pending issues of Pronam. With the Pujas approaching there are some annual events for the senior citizens that are being firmed. There are also some issues raised by various puja committee that have to be resolved.

There is a big demand for the annual Puja Parikrama cards of Pronam. Elaborate arrangements have been made by Pronam to ensure that few hundred senior citizens of Kolkata get an opportunity to visit popular puja pandals in north and south Kolkata through the VIP entrance. There is a big demand for this as there are nearly 14,000 Pronam members in Kolkata at present.

Today morning, I boarded an Indian Airlines flight for Delhi to go to Udaipur from Kolkata's Netaji International Airport. I was taken by surprise when I found that the Indian Airlines officials on the desk said to my protocol person that I did not have any seat blocked despite showing them my booking receipt with seat number that was allotted to me for an extra charge.

But the IA officials said that they had given the seat, for which I had paid Rs 500/- extra, to someone else and they gave me a separate seat from Delhi to Udaipur.

It defies explanation how a valid booked airlines ticket with seat number not only fails to show up on the system of Indian Airlines but also someone else is allotted the same seat. Will keep fingers crossed next time I fly Indian Airlines.

ess bee