On a flight of lies from Newark to Chennai

On the fateful day of August 25, when everything about my vacation was superlative, Jet Airways decided to play the Grinch. The airline cancelled the flight from JFK to Mumbai via Brussels and moved passengers from JFK to Newark Airport and put them on a flight to Mumbai. Subsequently the flight from Brussels to Chennai was cancelled and passengers were accomodated on the Mumbai flight and were promised the next flight to Chennai.

There were 20 of us on this flight traveling to Chennai, some were traveling with their children and many of them were senior citizens. Despite the cancellation of Brussels – Chennai flight we decided to go ahead with the journey since the staff in Newark promised us of an accommodation in Mumbai and the first flight to Chennai next morning.

The flight from Newark departed after a delay of 90 mins. There was another 60 min delay on the Brussels – Mumbai flight since passengers arriving from connecting flights had not arrived. And we landed in Mumbai at 11.30 pm on August 26. Customs and Immigration was cleared in 15 mins and we got the baggage at the conveyor belt in 15 mins.

We re-checked our bags at the counter, with a hope that we would be given accommodation. And we were just given our boarding passes on the 8.45 am Chennai flight on August 27, but no news about accommodation. The personnel at the check-in kiosk asked us to get on the inter-terminal shuttle to proceed towards the domestic terminal. When asked about the accomodation, the Jet Airways staff and duty manager, conveniently washed her hands-off. When we asked if they received any email from the desk in Newark, they denied receiving any email for accommodation, and said it has never been their policy to put up people in hotels or Jet lounges due to flight delays and cancellations. Some amongst us moved away after hearing their reply, while a few of us decided to stick around and fight it out.

I heard the Supervisor talk to a foreign national, a business class passenger and a Platinum Card member on the same flight. She asked him to report to gate 1 at the domestic airport, but said the Jet Lounge could accommodate only 20 and she wouldn’t promise a place for him. She also said and the airport security may let him into the gate two hours prior to the flight departure and he must be prepared spend the night (8 hours) sitting in those chairs near the check-in counter. On hearing this I turned irate and had no choice but to gather my co-passengers me for a confrontation and if possible a showdown.

I asked the Chennai bound passengers to join hands with me and we confronted the supervisor and recorded her boorish, rude, brash answers. We asked her to call the General Manager, and she said she did, but it was never their policy to provide any accommodation for delays or cancellations. It was sad to know that the Jet Airways ground staff and supervisor are not empowered to make any decisions to save the image of the airline.

Many of us had to report to work the next morning and Jet Airways didn’t care whether we slept that night or stayed awake. Amongst us there was an international passenger who is travelling to the country for the first time to add to his woes Jet Airways managed to lose his luggage and he had a 10 am business meeting the next morning.

When we raised our voices, she had no option but to extinguish our tempers and quickly get us out of the international terminal. She took down our seat numbers and promised an accommodation at the lounge, but when we reached there, the security guards would not let us enter the gate 8 hours prior to the flight and the ground staff at the domestic airport didn’t want to help and washed off their hands.

The Captain on the Brussels bound flight attributed the reason for cancellation as commercial, while the Captain on the Bruessels Mumbai flight said it was due to technical reason. That day we were flying on lies from Newark to Mumbai.

Would you want to experience such a service with no humaneness and professionalism? Imagine your aged parents, wife with kids stuck in Mumbai with no food and accommodation for 8 hours. When it is time to make a wise choice and don’t be afraid to drop Jet Airways from your list, even if you get a free ticket.

Check out this video I shot that night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDEtK0XFmn8&feature=youtube_gdata_player