I have an Indian Passport and a Canadian PR card. I purchased a confirmed Air India staff ticket from Toronto, Canada to New Delhi, India and back. The plane stops at Birmingham, UK for two hours where passengers get deplaned while the plane gets cleaned and refuelled. I travelled without any problems from Toronto to Delhi. When I showed by ticket to the Air India staff at Delhi to board the plane back to Toronto, they said that I required a UK transit visa. I informed them that I just came from Toronto to Delhi via UK where I did not require a UK transit visa then why do I need a transit visa while going back? Their reply was that was that was the rule. I told them that I would be given the boardingpass straight to Toronto and not to UK. The plane would stop in the UK, where passengers would deplane into a lounge where there are seats and access to washroom but no access to the actual airport. After two hours, the passengers would board the same plane to Toronto. They were not ready to listen. They would not give me anything in writing. I spoke to the Air India Duty manager at Delhi airport who would also not give me anything in writing. I had to purchase a confirmed revenue ticket from a different airline as a visa request would take 5 days to complete and I had to reach Toronto to resume scheduled work. I have written to Air India that I require them to compensate for the ticket I had to purchase with another airline because of their fault. From the comments I have read on the internet about this airline, I doubt I will get the refund. I and my family is never travelling in this airline. They will keep losing customers if they continue to behave in this manner. If anybody has any suggestions on what else I can do, please let me know.
Nikhar Kashyap
nikharkashyap@hotmail.com
Updated On: Sunday, November 25, 2007
I have an Indian Passport and a Canadian PR card. I purchased a confirmed Air India staff ticket from Toronto, Canada to New Delhi, India and back. The plane stops at Birmingham, UK for two hours where passengers get deplaned while the plane gets cleaned and refuelled. I travelled without any problems from Toronto to Delhi. When I showed by ticket to the Air India staff at Delhi to board the plane back to Toronto, they said that I required a UK transit visa. I informed them that I just came from Toronto to Delhi via UK where I did not require a UK transit visa then why do I need a transit visa while going back? Their reply was that was that was the rule. I told them that I would be given the boardingpass straight to Toronto and not to UK. The plane would stop in the UK, where passengers would deplane into a lounge where there are seats and access to washroom but no access to the actual airport. After two hours, the passengers would board the same plane to Toronto. They were not ready to listen. They would not give me anything in writing. I spoke to the Air India Duty manager at Delhi airport who would also not give me anything in writing. I had to purchase a confirmed revenue ticket from a different airline as a visa request would take 5 days to complete and I had to reach Toronto to resume scheduled work. I have written to Air India that I require them to compensate for the ticket I had to purchase with another airline because of their fault. From the comments I have read on the internet about this airline, I doubt I will get the refund. I and my family is never travelling in this airline. They will keep losing customers if they continue to behave in this manner. If anybody has any suggestions on what else I can do, please let me know.
Nikhar Kashyap
nikharkashyap@hotmail.com
