RIYADH, 19 April 2004 — Come summer and the airline industry in general goes all out to fleece customers and make the best of the holiday mood. But when it comes to Air-India, it is always something worse. The airline is particularly harsh on its Gulf passengers. The promises made by some of its key regional bosses that Gulf sector fares would be restructured do indeed materialize. But the prices are usually rearranged up, much to the chagrin of travelers. It is little wonder that A-I has reportedly refused to introduce low-cost fares or budget flights on the Gulf sector this summer. That seems to be the prerogative of those flying to Western destinations in spite of the fact that flights to most of these them are rarely full.
Still, the passengers are lured with food festivals and fare concessions. They are even enthralled by special music and dance troupes specializing in traditional dances. It is no surprise that the Maharaja — Air-India’s official mascot — has been in perennial financial crisis but is regularly bailed out by the poor Indian travelers working in the Gulf.
It is no secret that A-I fares to Gulf countries are very high compared to those to Western countries if one takes into account the distances. These days even travelers in the domestic sector in India are lured by special fares. Until recently, there were schemes such as the companion offer and concessions to senior citizens. Those who bought tickets in advance got huge discounts. But somehow the promises made to Gulf passengers, such as reduction in fares for children and direct destinations in India, remain only on paper.
The reasoning is when it comes to the Gulf, A-I cannot afford to stop milking its cash cow in light of its fledgling finances. The year 2003 was not a very good as pilots went on strike at the beginning of the year. Then there was the SARS scare which led to a drop in traffic, especially on the Eastern sector. The Iraq war also cast its shadow and fuel prices went up. “When it comes to Gulf passengers, Air-India has so many excuses. It pays lip service during off-season but gets back to its exploitative ways once summer starts. They simply would not care even if the fuel prices were down,” said one angry construction worker.
He has a point. It is a travesty of justice that A-I should try to make more money on the Gulf sector where Indians work in large numbers. Unlike Indians in the US or Europe and the Far East, 80 percent of Indians in the Gulf earn less than $300 a month. In fact if any one deserves concessions, it is that large labor force which remits huge foreign exchange into the government’s coffers.
There have been boycott threats by influential Indian organizations in the past. A-I did take some cosmetic steps to pacify them but every thing comes back to square one during holiday season. People do not have any choice since other airlines cannot cope with the huge traffic in summer due to their limited landing rights in India. Some private airlines operating within India have now gained permission to fly to Sri Lanka; however, for obvious reasons they may not get a chance to operate in the Gulf in the near future.
Apart from irrational fares, the facilities provided to Gulf passengers compare poorly with non-Gulf ones. Only a few protests are registered as many Gulf travelers lack literacy skills. Air-India seems to be no exception to those who care nothing for the poor. It would rather have a Gujarati festival on board its Bombay-London-Paris flight and allow chicken curry to serve its purpose on the Gulf sector.
