Blessing in disguise is when a wait-listed passenger gets the option of flying by Air India. Yes, you heard that right! You’ll be fortunate if you don’t get a confirmed ticket on Rajdhani Express as you’ll be provided with an alternate option of flying by an Air India flight, that too at a price same as the fare of AC First Class.
Both IRCTC and Air India have already entered into an agreement and the same will be in place within 7 days, said Ashwani Lohani, Chairman & Managing Director of Air India.
As per the pact, a passenger who has an unconfirmed ticket on Rajdhani will be given the option of taking an Air India flight, provided the airline has services in the specific train route chosen by him/her. It is important to note that Air India tickets will only be provided to such passengers through IRCTC. Also, waitlisted passengers (AC First Class) won’t have to pay any additional amount for their flights; which means it will be a free upgrade for them.
As told by Ashwani Lohani, passengers with Rajdhani AC Second and Third Class tickets would be required to pay an additional amount of up to Rs. 2,000 (per ticket) for flying an Air India flight.
The system has been designed such that all wait-listed passengers will receive a message from IRCTC, checking whether they want to travel by Air India instead. And, in case they agree, they can buy airline tickets through the website of IRCTC over the next 24 hours, as shared by an official.
It’s important to learn that the option will be given provided depending on the number of seats available in the airline. In case an aircraft has 15 seats available, passengers would be offered on a first-come-first-serve basis.
With this initiative in place within a week, it will be a win-win situation both for the travelling public and airline.
