Passengers in Kolkata and across India who are awaiting refunds for cancelled IndiGo flights are facing extended delays, with money taking several more days to reach their accounts. The refunds for tickets booked through major online travel portals such as Skyscanner, Goibibo, MakeMyTrip, and Yatra, as well as via travel agents, are stuck in processing limbo.
Government Fare Cap Fails to Deliver Real Relief
Compounding the refund woes is the widespread frustration over the government's fare cap order, intended to control ticket prices during the recent flight disruptions. While airlines adjusted fares to comply, passengers claim the measure provided only cosmetic relief. The cap was set at the highest fare on a typical day, rather than an average economy rate, leading to prices that remained significantly inflated.
For example, on the Delhi sector, IndiGo fares normally range between Rs 6,000 and Rs 12,000. However, in the wake of the cancellations, tickets were being sold for Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 on Sunday—prices within the government cap but still nearly double the standard fare.
Passenger Ordeals: Emergency Travel and Sky-High Prices
Ashish Saha, a resident of Jirat, shared his distressing experience. "I have a family emergency and have been trying to book a ticket since Saturday," he said. "Yesterday, a one-way ticket was showing Rs 50,000. Today, I found a Rs 25,000 ticket on Air India. It's comparatively less than IndiGo's, but still a complete loot."
The scenario was similar for flights to Bengaluru, where prices usually fluctuate between Rs 8,000 and Rs 16,000 but shot up to Rs 26,000 on Sunday. Adhiraj Roy, a dentist from Deshapriya Park, recounted his situation: "I booked my flight well in advance to join hospital duties from Monday. When the flight got abruptly cancelled, I had no choice but to book at Rs 26,000."
The Refund Bottleneck: Portals Await Airline Clarity
Refunds have started to slowly trickle back to travel agents, who confirmed they would begin processing customer refunds from Monday. However, the situation remains unclear for countless passengers who booked through online portals.
When the wave of cancellations began on December 3-4, many users struggled to access portals like MakeMyTrip, likely due to overwhelming web traffic and confusion. Industry experts indicate that once IndiGo credits the refunds to the portal accounts by Sunday evening—as per government directive—these platforms should start processing refunds to end customers from Monday or Tuesday.
"The bottleneck was not just technical," an official explained. "Portals were also waiting for clarity on how the airline would handle cancellations and refunds."
For now, travelers are caught in a difficult spot, navigating both exorbitant last-minute fares and delayed reimbursements. Shibu Kumar Das, a resident of Agartala, is still waiting for a refund of Rs 13,000 for two tickets cancelled on Saturday. "While the situation may ease in the coming days, it underscores the growing frustration among travellers who rely on both airlines and intermediaries," he said.
The ongoing chaos highlights the gap between regulatory intentions and ground-level operational execution, leaving Indian flyers to bear the brunt of high costs and administrative delays.
