Airlines in India have been accused of selling ‘ghost’ tickets for flights that are ultimately cancelled soon after booking, or were never scheduled in the first place.
Two airlines in India have been accused of selling customers tickets for flights that the carrier has no intention of running, according to the Times of India.
The airlines, which have been kept anonymous, then offered the customers a travel credit, or a ‘credit shell’, in lieu of a refund, which can be used to purchase another flight in the future, and is valid for two years after issue.
Customers have flagged that they believe the carriers are deliberately taking their money, with no intention of undertaking the purchased flight, and keeping a hold of their money.
One customer stated that he purchased three tickets on a direct flight between Mumbai and Mangalore with one low-cost Indian carrier, and was informed three days before the flight that it had been cancelled, and his money was moved to travel credit.
“The airline message did not mention why the flight was cancelled. It gave an option to reschedule but I could not find a flight on any other day, so the money went into a credit shell,” he said.
It was later revealed that airlines typically do not fly directly from Mumbai to Mangalore, suggesting that the flight was never scheduled, nor did it ever exist.
An aviation analyst noted that “there are no non-stop flights now from Mumbai to cities like Chennai, Trivandrum, Mangalore and Panjim, so it is surprising tickets were sold on non-existent routes”.
Another customer reported booking a flight from Mumbai to Delhi, and was told within a day of booking that the flight had been cancelled.
“The day after I booked the ticket, I got a message from the airline that the flight has been cancelled due to operational reasons,” he said.
The customer touted that the airline is deliberately taking money for flights that it knows will be cancelled or rescheduled, due to low demand, or rather, never having scheduled the flight in the first place.
“[The airlines] could be collecting public money, putting it in a credit shell for 730 days with no interest,” the customer said.
Airlines have been blasted in the past for opting to provide customers with flight credit, rather than refunds, and holding onto the cash, particularly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Customers are limited in their redemption options, as flight capacity is hugely reduced, and border restrictions continue to sit in place.
