SpiceJet, IndiGo faulted for poor service and behaviour by flyers

Indian flyers are becoming increasingly frustrated with the nation's airlines, according to a survey undertaken for Bloomberg, saying that customer service and the behaviour of airline staff has deteriorated sharply in the wake of Covid-19.

Some 79 per cent of the 15,000 airline passengers surveyed by LocalCircles said they believe carriers in India are compromising on passenger comfort and cutting corners as a result of the pandemic, souring the reopening of what was prior to Covid the world's fastest-growing aviation market.

Topping respondents' list of airlines whose service was deemed most unsatisfactory was SpiceJet Ltd., followed by the country's biggest airline with a 55 per cent market share, IndiGo. 

Complaints across all airlines included flight delays, shoddy in-flight service, bad boarding procedures and tatty aircraft interiors.

SpiceJet said it is prioritising automation, technology and sustainability to improve customers' experience.

IndiGo said it is also focusing on digitisation to give customers a contactless travel experience, noting that using technology at check-in to boarding and beyond has helped it reduce wait times at airports.

The results come as the airlines find themselves on the receiving end of a degree of backlash from passengers. In one recent high-profile incident, IndiGo barred a disabled teenager from boarding a flight, saying the boy was causing a disturbance and could pose a safety threat.