My frustrating experience with Kingfisher Airlines

Dear Kingfisher Airlines and King Club,


I wanted to bring to your attention the trauma and complete lack of service experienced by me at Bangalore airport during our recent trip. My  King Club Gold #500668615.


Me and my 2 other friends travelled to Bangalore from Chennai on the 24th of March 2012 with the return trip on the same day. I used my king miles to book ticket the redemption tickets for my friends. When I booked our tickets, 2 of us got tickets in IT2411, 19:50 departure - PNR #s: MQLUXG, NLOARD and the other person was booked in IT2407, 18:05 departure - PNR# EJVKHN. I got the print out of the 3 tickets I was emailed by your website after booking.


On 23rd, we got an SMS that IT2407 was cancelled and has been merged with IT2411. I called your contact center to confirm this as well.
Same day (23rd), I attempted to do the web-check in like I always do. I was able to check-in fine for 2 of us. But the 3rd ticket (PNR# EJVKHN) which had the re-scheduled flight returned error on your website that it is unable to retrieve itinerary - and your contact center confirmed it is because of the re-scheduled flight.


Firstly, I would like to enquire why your website does not allow to do this - is it our fault that kingfisher airlines reschedules the flight? People who are booked on the re-scheduled flights pay the same as others.


During our return, at the Bangalore Airport we saw the "Express Check-in / Hand baggage sign only" (just before the security entrance into the check-in hall). Since 2 of us have already web checked in, and my 3rd friend did not have any check-in luggage, it seemed logical to do the check in here since we are running late. We were at this counter at 7pm. I informed the representative in the counter that 2 of us have web checked in and the third one only has a hand baggage. The representative informed me that they cannot print the boarding pass here and I have to go into the check in counter. This turned out to be a complete waste of time when we are already hard pressed for time.


We hurried to the check in counter. On the way, the security asked for out tickets. I showed our tickets and the security mentioned that the third ticket is not valid since it is a earlier flight. I explained to him that the flight got cancelled and he has been re-booked into a new flight by the airlines. But the security denied access until we get a print out of the ticket from the counter.


So we went back to the counter, wait in the line for the customer before us to finish the transaction and then we got the print out of the ticket. By now it is already 7:25pm - loss of extremely valuable time - which could have been avoided if your system automatically emails us the updated itinerary when some change happens - why does this not happen?


After this, we rushed to the counter and the check counter representative issued boarding passes only for the 2 of us. She said that since one person is not web checked in, he could not travel. I explained that we are unable to do the web check-in for him because the website would *NOT* allow me to. She mentioned that she could not help and can only issue boarding passes if we have web checked in.


Isn’t it unfair that a passenger is not allowed to web-check in in the first place because the airlines re-schedules the flight, and then later that he could not travel because he did not web-check in? After all, the time wasted first at the outside counter who refused to check in, the security, the check in counter discussing these issue - they later informed even the 2 of us could NOT board the flight.


Frustrated by this, I asked for the supervisor and I was introduced to Ajeesh ("Guest Services Manager") - ajeesh.john@flykingfisher.com.


I explained what had happened. Ajeesh denied that we were in time. I asked him how he can make such an unfounded accusation and to substantiate his claim - which after almost an hour of arguments he still has hasn’t provided us.


He said he would show the transaction from the outside counter - but then later says that there is no record of the first transaction and only has the second transaction when we got the print out - although the representative confirmed that I was there first for the check-in and then again to get the print out. 


He refuses to provide a written report of his accusations either. It is surprising that some one can make all the accusations against a passenger without any proof and is not willing to attest what he says. That seems like a complete lack of accountability.


During our discussion, I explained that our only expectation is that we need to travel back to Chennai today and what alternatives he could make - and Ajeesh said there is nothing he could do to help since it is another airlines. So we had our friends book our tickets (by paying our of our pickets) on Spice Jet flight which leaves in about an hour.


After almost of an hour of arguments, during which your guest service manager (with complete lack of customer service skills) stuck to his "lying" claim without providing me an accountable report/proof, we were getting late for our spice jet flight as well.


So we proceeded to check in to our Spice Jet airlines - and at this time your "Guest services manager" threatens us that he has been very nice and he has "other ways of handling" - which is a pure  threat! He then goes on to accuse that I am drunk and called me a drunkard. It is a completely baseless accusation and more than that a humiliation to your customer. He goes on and threaten us more that "he could make sure that I do not get on the spice jet" flight. It is surprising that the same gentleman who said he could not help me arrange for alternate tickets earlier, now suddenly says he can stop us travelling.


As your customer, and your king club gold member - this whole episode has been frustrating, humiliating, traumatic and something I hope never happens again to me or any other fellow passengers.


I am writing this email to hear what explanations would you like to give to your customer why your guest services manager provided total lack of service / help of any kind and 
1. instead accused me of lying, 
2. humiliate me by calling a drunkard and 
3. threatened me by saying he could make sure I don’t fly with other airlines.


It seemed like it was complete lack of customer service skills and he cared very little about your customers and only caused agony instead of being of any help.


All in all, I feel cheated (the points I used - 5600 for each ticket from your loyalty program has gone a complete waste), baselessly accused of lying, humiliated, threatened and frustrated over all.
And I am sorry, but this is not good customer service!


Thanks.