Popular podcaster Prakhar Gupta has accused IndiGo of offering him a bribe of Rs 6,000 to delete his X post criticising the airline for a flight preponement issue. It all started after Mr Gupta claimed in an X post that IndiGo unexpectedly preponed his flight by 15 minutes, closed its check-in counters and ultimately forced him to purchase a new ticket. He also said that the ground staff was very rude to him and claimed that they were playing inappropriate private voice messages on speakerphone while dealing with his complaint.
Additionally, Mr Gupta pointed out inconsistencies in the fees charged for the rescheduled flight. He was told that the actual charge for the ticket change was Rs 40,000 but was being offered a "discounted" price of Rs 3,000 per customer. "A 90% discount? Instantly? Without me asking for it? Super suspicious," he remarked.
In response to the post, IndiGo airline stated, "We are currently looking into this and will reach out to you soon to resolve the matter."
However, once his post started gaining traction online, Mr Gupta alleged that IndiGo offered Rs 6,000 to remove his complaints from social media. "Hi Navi, your team tried to bribe me with Rs 6,000 to remove this post. No apology, either written or verbal, issued," the podcaster wrote on X.
In the following lines, Mr Gupta invited the IndiGo CEO to join him on his podcast to address the issue. "I have a few questions for the CEO, please tell him Ill fly him out first class to my studio, and show him the unwavering Indian Tolerance we are famous for. Let us see what happens when we air that episode," he wrote.
IndiGo is yet to respond to the bribe allegation.
Previously, Mr Gupta claimed that the airline preponed his flight by 15 minutes, just 2.5 hours before the scheduled time. He said that he didn't receive any email regarding the change and just a "measly" text message early in the morning. "How do you change a flight time and PREPONE it, 2.5 hours before the flight at 4 AM in the morning, expect me to make it on time, and then when I do get there 5 minutes behind on the NEW TIME , you do not let me check in my bag and make me pay for a new flight?" he wrote in his post.
"I got no email, and one measly text at 4 AM this morning that my flight time has been preponed from 645 to 630, and you close your check in counters according to 630??" Mr Gupta continued.
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He further slammed the ground staff's unprofessional behaviour, saying that he caught them playing "very distasteful private voice messages to each other on speaker phone and giggling at the obscenity while 'resolving' our issue." He also expressed his frustration over a "suspicious" adjustment in fee during the ticket change.
"And the language of resolution is suspect- the lady literally began with 'Sir the actual charge of this change is 40,000 Rs (original ticket for not more than 15) but I will charge you only minimum price 3,000 per customer'. A 90% discount??? Instantly??? Without me asking for it ??? Super suspicious. Everyone asks you to go to the next counter, trying to exhaust your anger and genuine frustration. You waste my time, you take more of my money, but no one dares take any accountability," he said.
IndiGo was quick to respond to Mr Gupta's initial post. But despite this, Mr Gupta expressed disappointment, saying no substantial help had been offered yet.
