When we book tickets through any airline’s site after the itinerary, routes, seats, and if needed food and travel insurance are selected the total amount is displayed. Once we confirm the details the final amount to be paid is shown along with taxes and hundreds of rupees as ‘convenience fees.’ What are these ‘convenience fees’ and why are these charged when the tickets are booked directly from the airlines and not from a travel site? Is it because we book the tickets from the comfort of our homes and offices? As such we are made to shell out extra for window, aisle and most of the middle seats and the prices vary depending on the preferred rows. Further, exorbitant prices are charged for food and drinks. The Directorate-General of Civil Aviation and Ministry of Civil Aviation need to instruct the airlines to clarify the ‘convenience fees’ and to forthwith stop charging the passengers. Hope a day will not come when the airlines would charge extra and different rates for boarding and alighting from the front and rear of the airplanes.
