SpiceJet Flight to Dubai Delayed by Six Hours, Passengers Report Frustration
More than 100 passengers, including numerous senior citizens, traveling on a SpiceJet flight from Pune to Dubai on Tuesday evening endured significant inconvenience due to repeated delays, allegedly without adequate prior notification. The flight, originally scheduled to depart at 8:30 PM and arrive in Dubai at 10:15 PM, finally took off around 2:30 AM on Wednesday, landing approximately at 4:00 AM, resulting in a delay of about six hours.
Passenger Accounts Highlight Communication Failures
Ayush Gupta, a doctor from Pimpri traveling to Dubai for the World Health Expo, recounted his experience to TOI. He stated that he checked the airline's website beforehand and discovered the flight was initially delayed to 9:40 PM, then further postponed to 11:30 PM. "I didn't receive any communication from the airline regarding the delay. I checked it myself and found out," Gupta said. He arrived at the airport at 9:40 PM, only to face continuous delays, with departure times shifting to 12:10 AM and then 12:40 AM.
Gupta added that after 12:40 AM, there were no updates or information provided. "The timings of the flight kept changing every 15-20 minutes. There were many flyers waiting and all were frustrated by the lack of proper information," he explained. The situation worsened as no refreshments were served, and when passengers demanded compensation, ground staff directed them to contact customer care. "Due to the delay, my day today is wasted as I am really tired," Gupta lamented.
Social Media Outcry and Airline Response
Saif Motiwala, whose elderly parents were on the flight, expressed his anger on social media platform X. He wrote, "Booked a flight to Dubai for my parents, but the airline ruined it and made a joke. At least eight times, they changed the scheduled departure time. It is 2 AM and the flight still has not taken off. No replies, no call and no compensation from the airline's side."
In response to Gupta's queries on X, SpiceJet attributed the delay to operational reasons, stating the flight was rescheduled to depart at 12:10 AM. The airline issued an official statement claiming, "Passengers were informed of the change well in advance at 4:40 PM about the revised departure time of 12:10 AM through email and SMS on their registered contact details. However, the flight was further delayed due to operational issues and departed at 2:30 AM. The claim that flight departure was revised multiple times is incorrect. The flight was rescheduled twice and passengers were informed accordingly."
Passenger Skepticism and Broader Concerns
Another flyer, who wished to remain anonymous, criticized the airline's approach, arguing that prior information does not alleviate passenger hassles. "It has become the habit of airlines, especially SpiceJet, to hide behind the garb of providing prior information about the delay. Don't they realise that it doesn't solve the hassles of flyers?" he said. He further noted that ground staff often remain indifferent and fail to interact properly with affected passengers, accusing airlines of being "hellbent on proving that flyers are lying."
This incident underscores ongoing issues with airline communication and customer service, particularly for international travelers with tight itineraries. The lack of timely updates and support at the airport has left many passengers exhausted and dissatisfied, calling into question the reliability of such services.
