on Air India's fetish for paper a recent incident with AI

0. booked a Del->Bom paper ticket via Cleartrip (and i was in Del all thru)
1. called Cleartrip call center to learn that paper tick might be required for AI, pl contact AI
2. called AI call center, got a confirmation that can do with a printout of Cleartrip's confirmation

3. landed at Del's IGI Airport
4. AI checkin declines, asks for paper ticket
5. we speak, after enough efforts in waiting, rephrasing, with AI customer service reps / Duty Mgr, only to hear 'sorr, pnr doesnt help. paper reqd'

6. called up AI call center, to hear 'paper tick is required. pl speak to Duty Mgr for more nfo'

7. the entire scene took the whole duration betn 04h30 till way past 06h15, the officials werent available, or were avoiding us, and surely werent 'customer friendly' !

8. to add insult to injury.. Cleartrip's advice on cancelation 'if done within 24hrs of flight dep, contact the airways' !!!

lesson learnt:: donot book paper tickets with AI; donot trust AI's call centers?!

queries:: is this case eligible for customer greivance? do the call centers do not have any bindings on the answers they provide ??

Labels: fine print, helpful links

  ¶ 5:13 PM