Travel Complaints
There are various modes of transportation in India be it through air, sea or land. Indian transportation, due to its immense population, is one of the most widely used in the world.
For traveling within India people generally prefer to rent a car or travel via train or bus as they deem convenient. Ola and Uber are prime examples of this. These startups have skyrocketed and are one of most used traveling apps in the India.
Meanwhile, many people prefer to travel via plane as it saves times. For this they either book the ticket through the website directly or look for agents to do the same.
Apart from big names there are some private travel agencies in Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai, Kolkata etc, which try to lure customers by offering them lucrative discounts. Travel agent frauds are quite prevalent in India. The most common travel agent/agency complaints include refund not provided, hotel denying check-in, fake promises etc.
Travel complaints have a sense of urgency and responsibility attached to them because no one wants to board a late flight or wants to stay in low-quality hotel.
We all want our travels and trips to be smooth right from the beginning. And if something does not go as per our expectations, the mood gets spoiled!
Therefore, it brings a significant responsibility on the shoulders of the travel companies to solve the issues faced by their customers. One should only book their hotels/flights via trustworthy sites to avoid getting duped. However, sometimes even these reputed travel companies commit an error.
In this article, we have covered the common travel complaints that are faced by customers and how you can resolve them.
But first lets check out the famous travel companies in India
Famous Travel Companies in India
1. Make My Trip
Make my Trip is one of the leading online travel companies in India. In 2000 it was founded by Deepak Kalra and had its headquarters in Gurugram, Haryana.
They have more than 14 company-owned travel stores in India and have over 30 franchisee-owned travel stores in India. They also have offices in Dubai, Phuket, Bangkok, New York, Kuala, and Lumpur.
2. Yatra:
Founded by Manish Amin, Sabina Chopra, and Dhruv Shringi in 2006, Yatra.com is the pre-eminent Indian online travel agency. It is based in Gurugram, Haryana. According to the sources in 2012, Yatra became the second-largest online travel service provider company in India.
3. OYO:
Oyo rooms, popularly known as Oyo hotels and rooms and stylized as OYO, is the fastest and largest growing hospitality chain in India. They worked on the franchising and leased system, which fortunately turned out to be the best for the company. Founded by Ritesh Agarwal in 2013, OYO gained much popularity right from the beginning.
4. GOIBIBO:
Subsidiary of Make My Trip Limited, Mauritius Ibibo, is a travel organization in 2006 by Ashish Kashyap. In 2013 Goibibo made it among the top five most trusted e-commerce brands in India.
5. HappyEasyGo:
Happy Easy Go is one of the emerging online travel company founded by Boris Zha in 2017. In 2019 it became the second-largest online travel booking platform in India and had more than 10 million customer bases all over the world. It has its headquarters in Gurugram, Shanghai, Chengdu, Hong Kong, and Singapore. During late 2018 HappyEasyGo established its hotel business.
6. Thomas Cook:
Thomas Cook (India) Ltd has its headquarters in Mumbai and caters to all the travel related requirements from visas to foreign exchange. They established themselves in India in 1881 and expanded its business to all the nearby countries.
7. Clear Trip:
Clear Trip earlier was known as Clear Trip Travel Services Private limited is a universal online travel company established in 2016. It has its headquarters in Dubai and Mumbai. In India, they started with a vision of making travel simple by bridging the gap between the Indian hospitality and travel sector. It was founded as an air and hotel aggregator by Stuart Crighton, Mathew Spacie, and Hrush Bhatt.
8. Travel Guru:
Travel Guru is India’s leading and growing travel website. It offers flights, holiday packages, and hotels at the best prices; they aim to make your trip smooth and convenient.
9. Travel Triangle:
Founded by three IIT graduates Sanchit Garg, Prabhat Gupta, and Sankalp Agarwal. It is India’s first fully stacked Holiday Marketplace that connects verified travel agents and travelers. It was founded in 2011 and competed with companies such as Thrillophilia. It is a platform that is trusted by many.
10. Travelocity India:
It is rated as one of the best online travel portals in the world and perfectly caters to the local needs of the people by launching specialized programs. In India, they cater to both business and leisure requirements.
Types of Travel Complaints
1. Tickets canceled, but money is not refunded:
One of the significant problems that are being faced by customers of major travel companies is that they cancel the tickets, but money is not credited to their bank account. This is the most common issue faced by almost all the consumers in cities like Pune, Mumbai, New Delhi and Bengaluru.
During COVID-19 times, many have reported on the internet that they have booked tickets, and they got canceled due to the pandemic. However, the companies did not refund the amount. Either they are saying that they have refunded the amount, or instead, they are offering a credit voucher.
2. No refund for flights canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic:
Due to the global pandemic, suddenly, flights were canceled. It was reported by customers of many major travel companies that they did not get their refund; however, the airlines did return the full booking amount. Many customers were upset because the travel companies did not inform them about the refund from the airlines.
3. Partial refund for the flights canceled due to COVID-19:
Many customers reported that they did not receive the full amount of flights they booked pre-corona. However, airlines have refunded the entire amount, but travel companies did not credit the whole amount; instead, they deducted a certain amount without giving any valid reason.
4. No refund against booked packages:
Many planned trips in June assuming that pandemic will end, but in the wake of current times, still, the tourism industry is on hold.
As people booked packages for traveling and now are requesting for a refund, but many companies are simply denying it.
However, many customers are disturbed with it because, in these uncertain times, they are struggling so much to get their refund.
5. Unable to connect with customer care service:
Many customers from significant travel companies face this very issue when they contact the customer care, they are not entertained, or their complaints are not correctly handled.
Many faced this particular issue while they were contacting the customer care, and their complaints were not appropriately welcomed or they were not able to connect with them.
6. Fraudulent booking agents:
Many travel companies have their booking agents, but some fraudsters just dive in and cheat people.
Many customers from significant companies, including Make My Trip and Yatra complained that they had been cheated by fraudsters in the name of these companies, and they have demanded a refund from the company.
7. Rescheduling of flights due to COVID-19:
Due to Corona pandemic, many people had to reschedule their flights, but travel companies are not helping them or are not considering their request.
8. Over billing by travel companies:
The most common types of complaints regarding Ola and Uber include over billing issues and not returning the left item in the cab. But you can try contacting the customer care number of Ola which is 098842437 and customer care of Uber which is 1300091272.
How to resolve travel complaints?
1. File support ticket/send an email:
You can always contact travel companies through their official website by going to their contact us section and by sending them an email. Customer service emails of some leading travel companies are:
Yatra- support@yatra.com
Make My Trip- care@makemytrip.com
Happy Easy Go- cs@happyeasygo.com
Clear Trip- customersupport@cleartrip.com
Goibibo- travel@goibibo.com
Travel guru- service@travelguru.com
2. Call Customer support:
One of the perfect ways to directly come in contact with the travel company is by contacting it through phone call for customer support. All these well-known travel companies have a 24*7 working customer care number which helps in resolving complaints as they value customer feedback. The customer care number of some of the leading travel agencies and hospitality companies in India are :
Cox and Kings Customer Care Number - 1800 209 0400
Thomas Cook Customer Care Number - 1800 209 9100
Club Mahindra Holidays Customer Care Number - 044 6695 3435
Expedia Customer Care Number – 800-319-4834
Yatra Customer Care Number - 0124 3040500
Goibibo Customer Care Number - 1800 208 1060
Makemytrip Customer Care Number - 1800 102 8747
Travelguru Customer Care Number - +91 92111 77444
Oyo Customer Care Number - 093139 31393
RedBus Customer Care Number - 1860 121 2102
3. Report to the airlines/hotel directly:
As we have seen above, many customers have reported that the airlines and hotels have issued a refund, but the travel companies have not refunded the money in the bank accounts. It is always better to contact the airlines or hotels directly if the companies don’t issue a refund by time. You can contact the airlines and hotels by calling them on their customer care number or by sending the email.
4. Send Legal Notice:
Consumers can send legal notices to travel company in case it is unable to resolve his complaint. It is one of the efficient ways to handle the issue legally. Check below to know how to send a legal notice to travel company?
Step 1: Firstly, get a legal notice drafted by a lawyer.
Step 2: Check it properly and make sure it is signed by lawyer.
Step 3: Keep a copy of it for future purposes.
Step 4: Send the legal notice to travel company by registered post.
Step 5: Keep the slip or delivery report for evidence.
5. File consumer forum case:
Consumer forum deals with consumer complaints and you should approach consumer forum if you feel that your rights as a consumer have been violated.
If travel company is not responding to your complaints even after sending legal notice by a lawyer then you should file a case against it in a consumer court.
Here is how you can file a case in the consumer court?
Step 1: Intimate the aggrieved party via legal notice.
Step 2: Draft the consumer complaint
Step 3: Attach all the relevant documents and proofs to support your complaint.
Step 4: Select the appropriate court for filing the complaint.
Step 5: Pay the prescribed court fee that is required to be paid along with the complaint.
Step 6: Submit the case along with the affidavit & fees in the court.
If you feel uncomfortable doing all this yourself, then you should use Voxya to file a complaint against travel company. We will send Legal Notice and prepare Case for filing in consumer court. We, at Voxya, are generally receiving more than 100 travel consumer complaints every month.
Most Common Issue Reported for Travel Complaints
Complaints
Booked hotel does not exist abroad (Makemytrip) Open
I booked a hotel I Doha for ** days using Makemytrip. After confirmation, I found out that the hotel address provided is only "street no ***, Doha, Qatar. And the phone number is ******. I contacted the support immediately and they told me tha...
Aug 03, 2019 by Avinash Bharatharaj
Didn't checked in hotel and charged (Oyo) Open
Booked hotel Gandotra through Oyo (call booking) because I was in need to check in early and was ready to pay early check-in charge. Upon call, I talked to the hotel manager and Oyo. They both confirm that *** to be paid online and *** includin...
Aug 03, 2019 by Prateek Mathur
Tour package not delivered and booking amount not refunded (Sotc Travel Limited) Open
I booked a customized tour package “Wonders of Ladakh-*N/*D” on **th April, **** to visit Laddakh for ** travellers planned to be started from **th June **** based on quotation submitted by Mr Amol Patil (sales executive, SOTC) by paying an...
Aug 03, 2019 by Dinesh kumar tyagi
False claims of amenities on App (OYO Rooms) Open
The property that I booked was showing mini-fridge, hairdryer and in house restaurant at the time of booking; all of which are missing when I actually checked in. Customer care team says those amenities are for some other category of rooms. But...
Aug 03, 2019 by Parameshwaran Nair
B2B company refuses to refund the money and threatening to cancel PNR (Piya Travels) Open
The B*B company Piya Travels is a B*B ticketing portal from Kolkata. We had deposited INR **,***/- in the company account in ****-**, and from that day onwards they froze our accounts and blocked our money. From past few days, I started getting...
Aug 02, 2019 by Aanchal Khurana
Ola cabs not refunding my Rs. 243 (Ola Cabs) Open
On *rd July ****, I booked an Ola Cab for Delhi - Gurgaon (CRN **********) and chose the mode of payment as google pay and paid Rs. *** through google pay to ola before the ride ended. However, after the ride completed Ola app showed me to pay ...
Aug 02, 2019 by Bibek Kumar Jha
Not allowing me to book holidays through App (Club Mahindra Holidays) Open
I have been regularly paying my ASF [Annual subscription Fee] and I am a member with them since ****. I have paid my ASF dues for the year **** & also for **** but now they are arm twisting me to pay the ASF for **** too and only then they will...
Aug 01, 2019 by G Chandramoulee
Refund not initiated for cancelled train (IRCTC) Open
I made a train booking through irctc.Co.In platform for my journey on July **, ****. On **th July I received a message saying that my train was cancelled. I verified the information via '***' helpline number. They confirmed that the train was ...
Aug 01, 2019 by SANCHIT JAIN
Money not refund (Make My Trip) Open
Ordered the hotel for sister in Nainital but turned out to be in Bhimtal asked to cancel the booking and refund money said not possible. Called them several times escalated the matter still no response. In fact, every time call-out on hold my e...
Aug 01, 2019 by Siddharth Mathur
Booking over charged (Make My Trip Pvt Ltd) Open
While booking a trip to Shimla make my trip app says the cost per person would be **** after the selection of * adults and a child of * years. However, after the selection the amount is escalated to ***** which is almost the cost for * people. ...
Jul 31, 2019 by Naveenchandra
Red bus fraud (Red Bus) Open
Mene apne relative Abhishek Nandan ki red bus se Gorakhpur se Delhi ki booking kari jiske liye red bus ne mujhse **** rupees charge kare. Mera red bus ticket no (TN*R********) and pnr no. (**MJYK*R) hai jo bas raj travels ki thi. Ye bus **/*/**...
Jul 30, 2019 by Vijay Kumar
Imposed unnecessary charges (OYO Rooms) Open
I checked in into the hotel at ** am after the Room was allotted since then only I had faced an issue about power failure. I did complain about this to every Oyo authority I could possible. It starts occurring just after check-in. I was busy in...
Jul 30, 2019 by Nihar Meshram
Fare charged at double the estimated amount (Ola Cabs) Open
I was shown at Rs. ***/- as estimated amount for the ride. After reaching the destination, I was forced to pay Rs.****. I instantly complain on their given number but did not get any proper reply. I repeatedly called them but the matter is not ...
Jul 29, 2019 by Sharad Tandon
Incorrect toll charges on cab rides (UBER) Open
Uber has not responded to the actual issue raised in my multiple previous complaints. I have clearly stated in my complaint that whoever is booking a Uber ride and taking the route from Delhi to Faridabad (Via Badarpur), Uber is charging double...
Jul 29, 2019 by Rohit Raj
Amount not refund (Goibibo) Open
I book the ticket from Goibibo from Mumbai to Lucknow by jet airways but after a month we came to know jet airways is shut down. I call jet airways but they said you have not directly booked from here you book from Goibibo so you have to ask am...
Jul 27, 2019 by Sandeep tiwari
Cheated by OYO rooms (OYO Rooms) Open
We booked OYO rooms “OYO**** Hotel Rock Heaven” at Naldhera road in Shimla from **th June to **th June ****. We are a family of * (* adults and * kids aged ** years and ** years). When I tried booking the hotel through OYO website or OYO mo...
Jul 27, 2019 by Viren Gharat
Non refund of tour cost on cancellation (Rise In Tours And Travels ) Open
I had booked a Uttarakhand tour through rise in tours and travels on **/**/**** for tour commencing from */**/**** to **/**/****. The total cost was Rs. *****.** for two people and I paid Rs. *****.** as advance vide receipt no **** dated **/**...
Jul 26, 2019 by Hari kishan sharma
Fraud by country Holiday Inn & Suits (Country Holiday Inn & Suites ) Open
I would like to inform you that Country Holiday Inn & suites, Noida (CHIS) invited me and my wife to Garden Galleria Mall, Noida, UP on *th July **** to collect gift vouchers. Accordingly, I and my wife visited there at around *.** pm to collec...
Jul 25, 2019 by Baishakhi Dey
Refund is not processing by Oyo total holidays (Oyo) Open
We have booked a tour package from Oyo total holidays. But from the very first day, they just didn't give any importance towards us. They have taken **k from us but still, they are not planning accordingly for the plan. We called so many times ...
Jul 24, 2019 by Snigdha roy
My amount yet not received (Jet Airways) Open
I am serving in Indian armed forces. On * April ****, I booked two tickets of Jet Airways flight from Guwahati to Dehradun and Dehradun to Guwahati through udChalo and yatra.com sites. My tickets flights were scheduled respectively on **.**.*...
Jul 24, 2019 by Sunil Kumar Maletha
"The sales manager of the KFC agreed to add an additional product worth Rs.450 on my next KFC order from their outlet and he did that without any issues. Thanks to Voxya for helping in getting this sorted!"
Kimi Shrivastava
Complaint filed against: KFC