Flights are likely to be your main travel option when booking a trip. After all, the airline sector is thriving! However, according to a survey, 9 out of 10 passengers believe that Indian airlines are cutting corners and, as a result, sacrificing comfort. 

The findings come as India's domestic flight passenger numbers have increased in recent years. There was a 9% increase in November, with 1.27 crore people traveling during the month. Domestic aviation traffic is predicted to increase to 371 million in 2023-24 and 412 million in 2024-25. As the market continues to improve, many airlines are preparing to buy more planes.

Unfortunately, all of the favorable signals have not translated into positive client feedback. According to a LocalCircles survey, there has been an increase in the number of complaints from fliers about excessive fares, flight cancellation, flight delays, denying boarding, damaged or misplaced luggage, increase in in-flight food prices, silent changes in boarding gates, rude behavior of staff at check-in counters, and so on. With travel at an all-time high throughout the Christmas and New Year's holidays, so have the complaints.

According to LocalCircles' poll, which garnered over 25,000 responses from air passengers across India, 78% of fliers experienced at least one or more concerns when flying in the previous two years. When asked if they had encountered any problems while flying in the previous two years, 78% replied yes, while 22% said no.

Many respondents (39%) reported problems with in-flight amenities such as food and entertainment, while 35% reported problems with boarding and check-in procedures as well as luggage management. 

As many as 30% cited bad aircraft interiors, such as seats and entertainment systems, while 17% voiced concern about airlines failing to share information on time. Seventeen percent of respondents stated they were bothered by flight delays, while 9% complained about staff attitude on the plane and at the airport. The remaining 9% discussed other topics. 

Other popular complaints included airlines overbooking and denying boarding to travelers who arrived a few minutes late. According to the poll, several fliers also stated that certain airlines directed those who arrived a few minutes late to re-book themselves at the ticket counter, resulting in the airline charging them additional money for a same-day booking.

As many as 88% say that airlines based in India have cut corners and degraded passenger experience in the last two years, with only 5% opposing. This figure was 79% a year ago in the study, but it has since risen to 88%. According to the respondents, the aviation authority has been mostly unaware of the gaps in customer care that frequent travelers encounter.