Journalist shares Delhi airport nightmare after IndiGo flight delays: 'Trauma I'll remember for long'

A journalist shared her ordeal at Delhi airport last Saturday, when she endured a last-minute flight cancellation and numerous delays by IndiGo. Stranded for nearly 12 hours, she ultimately opted against travelling.

Anubha Pandey was planning to travel from Delhi to Hyderabad for a family function and to spend Mother's Day with her mother. She reached the Delhi airport at 9 am for a flight scheduled for 10:40 am. At the luggage check-in, she got to know that the flight was cancelled.

"I was asked to go the reservation counter to get a reschedule or other options," she said in a long note on X (formerly Twitter).

"I was shocked to see that there was no dedicated person handling passengers whose flight got cancelled. That also meant no priority or precedence given to passengers whose flight gets cancelled due to whatsoever reason."

There was another flight to Hyderabad at 12:20 pm but she realised that the only available ticket on that flight was being given to a passenger who missed his flight.

Pandey asked IndiGo staff why the only

"When I questioned the act of giving the only 12:20 pm flight ticket to Hyderabad to a person who 'missed' his flight, I faced insensitivity and argument from two guys at the T1 counter, only to add more stress to what was going to come in the day," Pandey said.

She finally managed to reschedule her tickets for a 5 pm flight. Pandey decided to wait at the airport itself.

"After reaching out three to four people, I got to know that two idlis and a wada is the meal that IndiGo has provided for the six-hour wait time," the journalist said.

Half-an hour before the scheduled take-off at 5 pm, the airline informed the passengers that the flight was delayed by 1.6 hours. Pandey said she had gotten ready for her Hyderabad family function at the Delhi airport.

"I never felt so small and disappointed in recent times. It felt like the big corps can play with us however they like, even after we are paying for the services," she said.

The airline reportedly said the delay in Delhi was because the flight got delayed in Hyderabad.

Exhausted after her long wait at the airport, Pandey asked IndiGo staff if they could be further delays in the flight. She was told there would be no further delay.

However, around 45 minutes before take-off, the already-delayed flight's boarding gate was changed.

"Guess what? The flight further got delayed to 7:50 pm," she said.

"I gave up. I was just exhausted and sad. I felt nauseated just thinking that thank god its no emergency," she said, expressing her frustration.

"I was about to miss a family function and some good time with family but what about people who are travelling for doctor's appointment or any other emergency?"

Feeling drained after a long day, Pandey decided to abandon her travel plans.

"I decided not to travel. Because what's the point reach at 12 in the night (due to possible further delays) with such sh***y mood?"

Take a look at Anubha Pandey's post on X:

Pandey, who slammed the airline for its Mother's Day special video, said the airline offered her a ₹2,000-voucher as compensation.

“In compensation, a senior official is offering me a 2k Indigo voucher,” she said.

“Firstly, very delusional of that person to even believe that I'll ever travel from Indigo again. Secondly, I would give 5k back but answer me clearly why I have put through such emotional, mental and physical stress?”

IndiGo responded to the passenger's post, saying it facilitated a full refund for her return flight even though it was with a different airline.

“We had communicated about your cancelled and delayed flight via SMS to the registered number. Our team served refreshments during the wait time and facilitated a full refund for your return journey, even though it was with a different airline,” the airline said.

Also Read - Woman recounts airport ordeal amid IndiGo flight delay: ‘Diabetic patients made to eat sugary food’