Ground reality about low-cost airlines

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Mumbai: Low-cost airlines that offer the world for a penny will have to be more careful of what they promise. The Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission (MRTPC) has sent a notice to SpiceJet after complaints from passengers.

Low-cost airlines are warned. Deliver on what you promise or get ready to face the MRTPC's ire. In what could be a technical snag for SpiceJet, the MRTPC has ordered a notice of enquiry to be sent to the airline. The notice comes after the commission received two separate complaints from passengers.

One complainant claimed that discount tickets at Rs 99 that were being advertised on the airline website were not made available after repeated requests and were pulled off in just one day. SpiceJet had offered one-way tickets to any destination within the country for Rs 99 in May. The airline says all 50,00 tickets on offer were sold out within three days and the offer was withdrawn.

In another complaint, a passenger was refused a cancellation refund on 11 tickets he had booked for Srinagar. The MRTPC notice pulls up the airline for not explaining its cancellation policy clearly on its website. SpiceJet says they have not received an official notice yet and will appeal as and when they do.

Volume crazy low-cost carriers came up with a spate of such attractive schemes. GoAir's GoCrazy offer promised tickets for as low as Re 1 and even tickets for free. With this development, carriers offering dream fares will have to ensure that they make good on their promises.

ibn
 

bonddonraj

MP Guru
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new generation private low-cost carriers expanding at breakneck speed, India's aviation scenario promises to make flying affordable for the teeming middle class families. Only last month, two new carriers donned their flying colours — liquor baron Vijay Mallya's Kingfisher and SpiceJet — and there are about ten more lined up for launch later this year.

Suddenly, the domestic aviation scenario is exploding like never before. If it promises intense competition among the carriers and more choice to the travellers, it also makes a great demand on trained pilots, ground staff, and engineers.

Aviation industry watchers feel that the next six months will see a shortage of trained pilots, commanders and ground staff as well as airport and traffic infrastructure. Poaching of pilots has already become a hot issue among private carriers and major players can even go in for tie-ups with foreign airlines to lay their hands on a pool of foreign pilots for their operations. Jet Airways and Air Sahara have already begun their international operations flying to Southeast Asian destinations and now look forward to launching flights to the U.S.
 
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