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Prakhar Gupta, a well-known podcaster, has publicly accused IndiGo of offering him a bribe of ₹6,000 to delete his X post criticising the airline for a flight preponement issue. In an X post, Prakhar Gupta claimed that IndiGo unexpectedly moved his flight time, closed its check-in counters, and ultimately forced him to purchase a new ticket.
“Dear @IndiGo6E How do you change a flight time and PREPONE it, 2.5 hours before the flight at 4 AM in the morning, expect me to make it on time, and then when I do get there 5 minutes behind on the NEW TIME , you do not let me check in my bag and make me pay for a new flight?" Prakhar Gupta said.
"I got no email, and one measly text at 4 AM this morning that my flight time has been preponed from 645 to 630, and you close your check in counters according to 630?? Flight providers cannot whimsically play with people’s times and lives without us being compensated….” he said. Also Read | IndiGo Q3 results tomorrow: What to look forward to in InterGlobe Aviation earnings report
“Needless to say, your staff was rude to me….They [IndiGo staff] were also unprofessional, playing very distasteful private voice messages to each other on speaker phone and giggling at the obscenity while “resolving” our issue. And the language of resolution is suspect— the lady literally began with ‘Sir the actual charge of this change is 40,000 rs (original ticket for not more than 15) but i will charge you only minimum price 3,000 per customer’. A 90% discount? Instantly?" he said in the post.
IndiGo replied to his post on X. The airline said, "Mr Gupta, we are currently looking into this and will reach out to you soon to resolve the matter.”
At this, the podcaster later alleged that he was offered ₹6,000 to delete the original complaint post. He said he was not even offered an apology.
“Hi Navi, your team tried to bribe me with 6000 rupees to remove this post. No apology, either written or verbal, issued. However, safe to say that social media pressure does work. Apparently Indigo HQ is now involved, but no help has been offered," he said.
Meanwhile, reacting to allegations, IndiGo said that in light of airspace restrictions associated with Republic Day, flight schedules for all airlines operating from Delhi, including theirs had been affected.
"We promptly communicated these schedule adjustments to passengers upon implementation. Our teams made every effort to assist passengers arriving after the revised timings. In one instance, a passenger who arrived beyond the original flight time was extended the option of an alternative flight with minimal charges. Later, the customer was offered a refund of fees charged towards reaccommodation on the next flight amounting to INR 5998 in total, for him and his co-passenger, purely as a goodwill gesture for brand loyalty. At Indigo, we prioritise courteous guest support and strive to deliver a positive travel experience for all our customers,” said IndiGo.
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