A passenger on the IndiGo flight from Pune to Nagpur was shocked when she reached her seat and discovered that half of the cushion was missing.
Sagarika Patnaik, a resident of Nagpur, was on a work trip aboard IndiGo flight 6E6798 early on Sunday. Her husband, Subrat Patnaik, informed the Times of India that she had a window seat, specifically seat number 10A.
“When she got to her seat, she was surprised to find the cushion missing,” her husband mentioned. Sagarika brought up the issue with a cabin crew member who, in reply, instructed her to check under the seat for the cushion, he further explained.
Despite searching around the seat, she couldn’t locate the cushion. Sagarika brought up the problem again, but as the boarding was ongoing, she had to wait in the aisle, causing some commotion for her fellow passengers. Eventually, after a bit, a cabin crew member brought her a cushion from an extra seat and put it on Sagarika’s seat.
Subrat Patnaik added, “How can a seat cushion just disappear? This is definitely not something you’d expect from a reputable airline like IndiGo.”
Sources within the airline reportedly stated that the old cushion was removed for replacement due to being dirty, and a spare cushion was given to maintain the aircraft’s hygiene standards.
User Subrat Patnaik posted on X, “#Indigo! #Flight 6E 6798! Seat no 10A! Pune to Nagpur! Today’s status. Best way to increase profit. Pathetic.” He shared a picture displaying the absence of the seat cushion.
#Indigo !! #Flight 6E 6798 !! Seat no 10A ! Pune to Nagpur!!! Today’s status … Best way to increase profit 😢😢…Pathetic … pic.twitter.com/tcXHOT6Dr5
— Subrat Patnaik (@Subu_0212) November 25, 2023
In response to Subrat on the social media platform X, the airline explained, “Hi, that’s certainly not good to see. At times, the seat cushion gets adrift from its Velcro. The same can be repositioned with the help of our crew. Further, your feedback will be shared with the concerned team for review. Hope to serve you better in the future.”
Subrat responded to IndiGo’s comment, saying, “Thanks for your reply. But I’m surprised how both the ground staff and the crew missed checking the cleanliness before boarding. This is harming the reputation of a reputed brand like IndiGo.”
Netizens reaction
“Maybe it’s a trial. Sooner or later Indigo may start charging 250-500 for cushions,” posted an individual.
Another joked, “So that the passenger does not fall asleep.”
“Very often the staff really does not get enough time to check in between two flight destinations; it’s that tightly scheduled!” expressed a third.
Some similar incidents also took place recently
Frequent flyer Kanishka Gupta expressed that this kind of carelessness is becoming common. He shared an example from a recent trip where none of the screens were working during a flight from Delhi to Canada. He also noticed life jackets scattered and not in their designated places on domestic flights.
Calling the incident unacceptable, aviation analyst Dhairyashil Vandekar stated that airlines shouldn’t provide passengers with broken or unusable seats, regardless of the situation. Vandekar emphasized that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has previously warned airlines about such issues, and if these incidents persist, strict actions should be taken by the DGCA.
In another incident of airline troubles, six passengers on an IndiGo flight bound for Chennai were allegedly persuaded to disembark at Bengaluru airport. They claimed it was because the airline was unwilling to fly to the destination with only six people on board. This happened around 9:30 pm on Sunday at Kempegowda International Airport after the IndiGo flight 6E478 landed. The flight, originating from Amritsar, was en route to Chennai via Bengaluru.
The airline responded, stating that on November 19, 2023, flight 6E 478 was traveling from Amritsar to Chennai via Bengaluru with eight transit passengers. Due to a delay in the incoming aircraft from Amritsar, these passengers couldn’t catch the onward flight to Chennai at Bengaluru Airport. The airline’s ground staff tried to assist passengers in making the connection, but due to time constraints, they couldn’t board the aircraft. IndiGo offered overnight accommodation and booked them on the next available flight. Some passengers opted to stay at the airport lounge. The airline deeply apologized for the inconvenience caused.
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