Stranded flyers, long queues: Frustration mounts at IndiGo reservation counter at Delhi airport

“We have reached the counter but there are 400 people in front of me. The flight I’m supposed to board now shows a layover of 16–17 hours,” said another.

High airline prices, alternative routes, and the desire to return home dominated conversations among passengers. Many claimed they had never received cancellation messages, while others showed their phones to prove that web check-ins were complete and that the flight status still showed on-time departure.

Meanwhile, IndiGo has rescheduled a few flights—the earliest starting from Monday, December 8.

Asiya Mehraj (42), who works in Delhi and was travelling to Kolkata, was among the hundreds waiting in the long queue at Terminal 1.

“The airline is rescheduling according to its own convenience. We are all working people and we plan our schedules accordingly. We were not informed about the cancellation until we reached the airport. My flight was at 4 pm, and at 10:30 am I got a message from IndiGo saying, ‘Welcome on board,’ so I didn’t expect to be standing here waiting for a refund or rescheduling,” she said.

Meanwhile, Archana Bajaj (43), who had visited her husband in Delhi for a medical check-up, was stressed about her school-going son being alone at home.

“I was in the city for two days. Though my son is eighteen years old, he still needs me for his studies and projects. Since flights were getting canceled over the last few days, I inquired with the airline yesterday and again this morning, but they denied any further cancellations. However, when I arrived at the airport, the flight was canceled,” she said, adding that she had no option but to wait at the airport as the tatkal train quota was also closed.

Another passenger, Riya Agrawal (27), who was travelling to Bhubaneswar, echoed similar concerns.

“This is a huge crisis now, but nobody is giving us the correct information. I need a refund because flight tickets are no joke. We chose IndiGo because it is relatively cheaper compared to other airlines, but now I’m stuck here. My mother has called around 40 times since morning. She is panicking because I haven’t slept for two days as I was here to attend my best friend’s wedding,” she said.

Similar scenes prevailed at IGI Airport Terminal 2. Worsening their woes, IndiGo passengers were unable to board flights of other airlines as most flights were already overbooked.