Update (Jun 21, 2009): Not going to take this lying down, I registered a complaint with Kingfisher. They did not reply, so I have filed a complaint in the consumer forum furnishing them with all the details. I will supply them with all the receipts (along with the receipt and fee Delta charged me for the same kind of change on another ticket). The difference between the charged fees of Delta and KF is almost $200+. Let’s see.
Original Post (Jun 15, 2009)
While booking your air tickets – from any where to any where, never book through a search agent. Especially, when you’re flying between countries. Avoid Expedia at all costs – even if they give you a ticket for free.
Expedia makes Kingfisher book a Delta ticket on a Qantas-Air India quota.
If you can understand the statement above, then probably you should be awarded a doctorate in international Air ticketing. I spent a whole 8 hours (all night) calling up all of the airlines and Expedia to sort out a change. My blood pressure attained new highs that night and I invented 5 new ways to scold Airline ticketing agents.
My request was to change a Delta ticket from date X to date Y. It can never get any simpler than that. I had two tickets. For one of the tickets, Delta conveniently charged me an amount AA and changed the ticket. For the other ticket, they told me to call up Expedia. As I call up Expedia, they said they cannot change the ticket and I have to call up Kingfisher. On calling up KF, they said they can’t change the ticket and I have to call up Delta. I went into this circle over three times. Then I conferenced a call between KF and Expedia to sort out the matter. The Expedia agent conveniently pushed the ball into KF’s court, who in turn said that Delta has to change the ticket. Both the agents agreed and I was hung (because Delta was not in the conference call).
I called back Delta and told them. They were not very friendly this time and rudely told me to deal with the agents only. I tried one last time and conferenced a call between KF, Delta and Expedia. This time, Kingfisher agreed to change the ticket (they could have done this 6 hours earlier, right?). Both Expedia and Delta hung up from the conference. KF told me that the charges for changing the ticket would be twice AA (the Delta’s charges) plus some other fees. I had no recourse, so I went with it.
On the day of the flight, here’s what the Delta counter tells me at the Airport:
Sir, this ticket doesn’t look right. I think you have to pay another $$$ to actually generate the ticket. The reservation looks Ok, but the ticket ain’t there.
Kingfisher charged me more than double the amount to change a ticket and doesn’t pay Delta the change fee. Delta humiliates me and tells me that I have to re-pay an amount (albeit lower than what KF charged) that I have already paid – plus the premium charged by KF (for harassing me?). Delta finally told me that have my Credit Card information and in case KF doesn’t pay the money, they will directly charge me. At least they let me fly.
You decide if you want to fly Kingfisher or book through them next time. You also decide if you would do the same with Expedia. These guys have taken out the peace from me.