Pune: Frequent cancellation of SpiceJet’s flights is landing flyers in the refund uncertainty zone, especially those not buying tickets directly from the airline.Many passengers alleged having little clarity about the refund after shuttling between the airline and travel portals for days. Some flyers’ wait to get back their legitimate money continued for weeks. They described the situation as “frustrating” because the cancellations were not voluntary. They were compelled to opt for full refunds because the airline cancelled the flights.Flyer R Singh wrote on X on Sept 20 that he had been waiting for a refund for over 20 days. His Pune-Delhi SpiceJet flight was cancelled on Aug 29, making his return ticket unusable.“I had booked the tickets via a travel portal. The airline told me that the portal must handle the refund. The portal told me that they cannot find my refund initiation,” Singh wrote.Another flyer, requesting anonymity, said he opted for a full refund after SpiceJet’s Pune-Dubai flight was delayed by over 20 hours on Sept 10. The refund was processed at the airport counter, but he said getting the money remained a challenge.“The airline and the travel portal are passing the buck to each other’s court. If an airline delays or cancels a flight and offers a refund, it should coordinate with all associated parties and ensure the entire process is completed quickly. Its responsibility does not end by simply stating that the refund has been initiated,” said the Shivajinagar resident.TOI sent a detailed query to SpiceJet on the issue last weekend, followed by two reminders, including one on Wednesday. There was no response from the carrier till going to press. Travel portals also did not respond to TOI’s queries till late in the night.A source in a travel portal said refunds normally take seven to 10 working days to be initiated. The processing could take longer, depending on the case and information provided, she said.Flyer Aditya Raj’s Pune-Dubai flight was cancelled on Aug 30. After receiving an airline email and opting for a full refund, he approached the travel portal on Sept 8. The portal’s response was, “No refund applicable.” A follow-up message later yielded no update.Another flyer, Soham, said SpiceJet cancelled the Dubai-Pune flight on Sept 17. He received messages and emails from the airline confirming the cancellation, but when he approached the travel portal, he was told that the flight had operated. “I don’t know what is going on,” Soham told TOI.There have been frequent disruptions in SpiceJet flights’ operations. Its direct Pune-Dubai service was cancelled and delayed multiple times. In contrast, IndiGo’s direct daily Pune-Dubai flight has largely operated on time.Devam Tours and Travel head and Travel Agents Association of Pune president Nilesh Bhansali said his agency was generally advising clients against booking SpiceJet tickets. “Some clients who booked SpiceJet tickets through portals are approaching us for help. They are even offering three to four times the service charge,” he said.Shree Vinayak Holidays owner Santosh Gupta said agents had no access to third-party bookings. “Yet, desperate flyers keep calling us hoping for some way out,” he said.
