'#IndigoFirstPassengerLast': Harsha Bhogle slams IndiGo for mistreating elderly passengers

Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle recently took to X to voice his frustration over a recent flight experience with IndiGo, a carrier known for its frequent passenger-related issues. Bhogle's tweet, accompanied by the hashtag #IndigoFirstPassengerLast, captured his discontent and highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by the airline.

Another example of #IndigoFirstPassengerLast. An elderly couple on my flight had paid for seats in row 4 so they wouldn't have to walk much. Without an explanation, #Indigo changed it to seat 19. The gentleman was going to struggle to walk till row 19 in a narrow passage. But who¡­

¡ª Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) August 24, 2024

Bhogle writes, ¡°An elderly couple on my flight had paid for seats in row 4 so they wouldn't have to walk much. Without an explanation, #Indigo changed it to seat 19. The gentleman was going to struggle to walk till row 19 in a narrow passage.¡±

He adds, ¡°A few people had to make a noise, point out the immorality and only then, thanks to the pleasant cabin crew were the original seats restored. But, and this is the point, they had to make a noise otherwise Indigo was going to get them to walk till 19, and check after boarding was complete, if they could be assigned 4, which meant they would have to walk back.¡±

Bhogle also noted the elderly lady¡¯s quiet complaint, "I wish they didn't have a monopoly.¡±

He concluded, ¡°I am sure @IndiGo6E, you can sensitise your ground staff to put the passenger first occasionally. It was so disappointing to see how casually they were moving elderly passengers. With success comes responsibility. As someone who is proud of a successful Indian enterprise, I hope you can be more sensitive and not institutionalise this uncaring attitude.¡±

Credit: IndiGo

Meanwhile IndiGo has responded to it saying: ¡°Mr Bhogle, thank you for bringing this to our attention and taking the time to speak with us. We sincerely regret the confusion that caused inconvenience to the customers. Our crew quickly intervened, ensuring they travelled comfortably in their originally assigned seats. We've also reached out to the customers to address this personally. We truly appreciate your understanding and look forward to serving you again soon.¡±

How did people respond?

One commenter writes, ¡°In Business no one cares. They must have sold off the front row seats for 100-200 extra bucks.¡±

Another adds: ¡°Monopolies and Duopolies harm only two categories of people... 1. End User, 2. Tax Payer. Rest everyone has a gala time. And in India, why only airlines, everything is headed in this direction.¡±

Yet others noted that it's not just IndiGo but also other airlines that follow similar practices. "Only in pandemic I received from them the msgs like *We are in this together*. Now every airline is treating passengers like 3rd class customers."

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