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Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
AI fleet size cut hassles international passengers
Four members of a Pune-based family, set to fly from Mumbai to Newark on another Air India flight (AI-191) on Friday, faced a similar situation. Santosh Gupta, the owner of Shree Vinayak Holidays, said their flight was suddenly cancelled on Thursday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Upon enquiry, we learnt that one of them (mother of the family) will travel on the same flight on Friday, which the airline had earlier said was cancelled. The other three would be travelling to Newark via Delhi on June 29 (Sunday). We had booked the tickets for them in January," Gupta said. An official statement from the airline regarding these issues was awaited till going to press. A source in the airline said the reduction of the fleet size in the international sector was among the reasons behind these problems. "In some cases, different PNRs might have led to the different travel dates of members of the same family. We are providing all possible help to affected flyers," the airline source said. Many travellers have faced hassles after Air India temporarily curtailed its intnl services by 15% to maintain operational stability and enhance passengers' safety. Vinit Shah, another flyer, wrote on X on June 23, "The airline (Air India) has offered only one option: fly Pune-Delhi-Singapore with a five-hour layover. There is no date flexibility. My mother cannot manage this halt." Ravindra Zawar, another flyer, wrote, "AI146 from London (Gatwick) to Goa on June 28 has been changed to Heathrow to Mumbai with a 10-hour layover in Mumbai, and then to Goa."
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Chaos hits AI: Three of family rebooked on Pune flights on 3 days
Pune: USA resident Anish Agarwal's mother, father and brother were to travel from Toronto to Pune via Delhi on an Air India flight (AI-190) on Friday. The carrier suddenly changed their travel dates. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Now, my brother will travel on Friday, father on June 28 (Sunday) and my mother on June 30 (Monday). I tried calling up the airline's customer support number from the USA, but in vain. I was put on hold for four hours, after which the call got disconnected. I got no solution. This has led to us booking hotel rooms for three additional nights in Toronto," Agarwal told TOI. Four members of a Pune-based family, set to fly from Mumbai to Newark on another Air India flight (AI-191) on Friday, faced a similar situation. Santosh Gupta, the owner of Shree Vinayak Holidays, said their flight was suddenly cancelled on Thursday. "Upon enquiry, we learnt that one of them (mother of the family) will travel on the same flight on Friday, which the airline had earlier said was cancelled. The other three would be travelling to Newark via Delhi on June 29 (Sunday). We had booked the tickets for them in January," Gupta said. An official statement from the airline regarding these issues was awaited till going to press. A source in the airline said the reduction of the fleet size in the international sector was among the reasons behind these problems. "In some cases, different PNRs might have led to the different travel dates of members of the same family. We are providing all possible help to affected flyers," the airline source said. Many international travellers have faced hassles after Air India temporarily curtailed its international services by 15% to maintain operational stability and enhance passengers' safety. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In addition to its international fleet, the airline has cut down on its domestic routes as well. A flyer, who recently flew to Singapore on Air India, said, "I was slated to fly on June 23. Around 12 hours before the flight, I got the information that it was suspended. The alternative offered to me delayed my travel by more than eight hours. I wasn't offered any compensation or hotel accommodation for the same." Vinit Shah, another flyer, wrote on X on June 23, "The airline (Air India) has offered only one option: fly Pune-Delhi-Singapore with a five-hour layover. Also, there is no date flexibility. My elderly mother cannot manage this halt." Ravindra Zawar, another passenger, wrote last week, "Flight number AI146 from London (Gatwick) to Goa on June 28 has been changed to Heathrow to Mumbai with a 10-hour layover in Mumbai, and then to Goa."
Time of India
31-05-2025
- Time of India
Pune travellers cautious as Covid cases rise, some postpone trips
P une: Travellers are exercising caution with plans to destinations like Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong, fearing flight cancellations and quarantine rules amid Covid cases. However, most booked travellers are proceeding with their trips, with travel firms reporting no major cancellations. Ruchika Santosh, a working professional from Koregaon Park, has put her Singapore trip plans on hold with her husband following the recent surge in Covid cases. "Covid has become quite common now, but it still poses risks like flight cancellations or quarantine. Since we haven't booked tickets yet, we've decided to postpone the trip for now," she said. Despite the Covid surge, Kalyaninagar resident Sanjiv Thongar has decided to go ahead with his four-day Bangkok trip, having already booked flights and hotel. "It's time we stop panicking about Covid," Thongar said. "Experts say it will become like a common cold or flu. The travel firm has only asked me to carry my vaccination certificate and take precautions," he said. Pune airport director Santosh Dhoke told TOI that he had received no information about screening passengers arriving on international flights till Tuesday. "We haven't received any information or instructions from authorities, including the health ministry, regarding screening passengers on international flights," he said. Santosh Gupta, owner of Shree Vinayak Holidays, said some people were getting scared and cancelling trips, while others were still going "The real impact will be clear in a few days, but for now, it's a mixed response," he said. Makrand Angal, owner of Go Holidays in Pune, said he hasn't seen any cancellations yet, but has received many queries. "We're advising travelers to carry vaccination certificates and take precautions," he said. Sarthak Agarwal, a Sinhagad Road-based businessman who frequently visits Singapore, has postponed his next-month trip due to Covid concerns. "I'm not scared of Covid itself, but the quarantine rules and potential flight disruptions could cost me a lot," he said. A travel firm representative said the Covid surge was hurting business, following a tough summer season due to the Indo-Pak tensions. "We've lost out on summer travel, and now Covid cases in Maharashtra will impact bookings. It's shaping up to be a bad year for us," he said.
