IndiGo and SpiceJet to Require Fees for Printing e-Tickets

Friday, 15th June 2012 at 03:01am

What was once for gratis, now it's for a fee of Rs 50. Two more budget carriers are charging their passengers for printing e-tickets issued to them at the airport. IndiGo and SpiceJet are taking the cue from their rival, Jet Airways, who earlier made the first move.

Seventy percent of the domestic market in India is served by these three biggest budget carriers. Chances are, many passengers would surely get affected by the additional charges they have to pay for their air tickets via these airlines. A travel agency owner lamented that airlines should reconsider their decision to charge their passenger for the e-ticket printouts issued to them as it is a basic service.

No one from either airline companies wanted to give explanation or even comment regarding the policy. To recall, Jet Airways and its subsidiary JetLite, a budget carrier, began charging their passengers for the printing of e-tickets issued to them two weeks earlier. It sparked criticisms and ignited angry comments from many passengers.

The fee Jet Airways collect from the passengers for the issuance of e-tickets, is said to cover the airline's investment in manpower and infrastructure to give their customers utmost satisfaction. It pointed out that they want to offer their passengers utmost convenience they truly deserve while on travel by giving them what they want at a minimal cost.

According to the National President of Air Passengers' Association of India, Milan Zatakia, the presentation of a printout of e-ticket by the passengers at the airport should not be necessary if the passengers can show an image of the ticket from his smart phone. He further added that the government should find a better way to address the problem so as not to inconvenience the traveling public.

By: Pete Lee.