India-based Airlines - Kingfisher a goner




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jasepl
Mar 10, 12, 6:19 am
I think this deserves a new thread.

It seems like what we already knew is now playing out at an accelerated speed.

In a couple of weeks, internationally, IT are ending all operations at Bangkok, Dhaka, Kathmandu and London. In addition, their website shows no flights to Hong Kong or Singapore either.

Domestically, a host of routes are being cut and a number of cities losing IT service entirely (Bhubaneswar, Calcutta, Coimbatore, etc...). Also, just like with the international flights, searching for flights to several places (Bhavnagar, Kandla, Patna, etc...) yields : No flights found!


The "for sure" list so far :
http://airlineroute.net/2012/03/10/it-s12/


PVDtoDEL
Mar 10, 12, 7:57 am
It seems like what we already knew is now playing out at an accelerated speed.
Pretty much. Kingfisher has been a goner for months now. Every one of the 50 daily news updates we get on them is just another step towards bankruptcy...

Shutting London is a pretty big move.. It's their flagship route, so I would have expected that to be the last route they cut. Maybe they're expecting to lose their A330s to repo/lease expiration soon :confused:

Punjabi007
Mar 10, 12, 8:57 am
I read about this in the morning as well on Economic Times (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/kingfisher-airlines-may-cut-global-operations-further/articleshow/12203219.cms)

As per the checks I made on the system I can verify that outbound from Delhi last flight for HONGKONG is 28th And London is 16th April. Other sectors mentioned by OP are also not displaying after 25th Mrch

Apparently Dubai and Singapore remain as the only sectors showing booking possibility till end April.

I was trying to book a flight today on IT for Dubai against there special fare of Rs 14000/- return offered in association with VIA.COM, when checked they informed me that they have exhausted all bookings with Airline and as per circular they have received from IT is to sieze all bookings 25th Onwards.

I guess Monday all shall be clear on what is their gameplan.... Vijay Mallya said that he would end the crisis by 4th March, more than 10 days he has been silent, could it be the silence before the storm? :confused:


onlysuites
Mar 10, 12, 11:12 am
First signs of closing down.

onlysuites
Mar 10, 12, 11:36 am
Shutting London is a pretty big move.. It's their flagship route,

Not according to the recent flight I took with them http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/18173871-post255.html

Yaatri
Mar 10, 12, 12:13 pm
IT *(Malllya) is saving itself (himself) for non-stop BLR-SFO. :rolleyes:

Punjabi007
Mar 10, 12, 12:41 pm
Prepare for IT Pilots agitation in next 48 hours

Kingfisher Pilots to go on strike unless paid in 48 hours (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Kingfisher-may-have-to-weather-pilot-storm-next/articleshow/12214372.cms)

:(

LH757
Mar 10, 12, 3:57 pm
So this is IT's prelude to its final finale....:p

Any one yet received refunds for their cancelled flights??

hyderago
Mar 10, 12, 5:41 pm
According to the article, "About 80% of pilots will not be reporting for work from Monday". Since IT has canceled more than 80% of their flights, they should have enough pilots to fly the remaining routes, right? :D

skinnylizard
Mar 10, 12, 10:12 pm
just shot myself in the head.. multiple times. heard about the agitation of the pilot this morning and tried to cancel the tickets and get a refund, since its an online booking i spent 90 mins on the phone with no luck.

decided to make an alternative booking on cleartrip and screwed up. had bought tickets for the sister in law to bangkok yesterday on cleartrip and ended up changing locations and not the dates. booked us on a one way trip from Bangalore to Bombay on 13th August instead of 13th March. Cancellations cost me 1000 per pax.. :(

and now i am pretty sure Kingfisher is not going to fly on Tuesday and am stuck with em tickets.

whole thing is a total effing fiasco of govt of India proportions. somehow i blame Vijay Mallya and the Indian govt for this.

PVDtoDEL
Mar 10, 12, 10:50 pm
whole thing is a total effing fiasco of govt of India proportions. somehow i blame Vijay Mallya and the Indian govt for this.

While Mallya certainly deserves plenty of blame, not sure why you blame the government :confused:... Kingfisher's problems are largely their own making.

Unless you blame the government for not shutting them down before this whole fiasco takes place... I agree that the longer they drag this out, the more it will hurt.

jasepl
Mar 10, 12, 10:58 pm
Hong Kong is gone too, effective almost immediately. Supposedly only for a month, but I'm not holding my breath for a resumption.

http://airlineroute.net/2012/03/10/it-bomhkg-mar12/

whole thing is a total effing fiasco of govt of India proportions. somehow i blame Vijay Mallya and the Indian govt for this.
Government and the ministry have nothing to do with it. Kingfisher's predicament is entirely the fault of their management and their ego-in-chief.

jasepl
Mar 11, 12, 3:41 am
A friend sent me this picture; seems like someone jumped the gun when it came to oneworld :
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/jasepl/itow.jpg

Soon they're going to have to blacken the whole thing.

d3vski
Mar 11, 12, 6:56 am
A little premature to declare is a goner but it does seem that it is on the way out.

A real shame as i have had many happy associations with the airline. I really enjoyed flying with them in the early days but the best thing was that i met my wife through this airline and for that, i will always be grateful and have a soft spot for the airline.

To the fat 'dirty pervy paedo uncle type' one: You are a shame as you have such loyal staff who would defend you to the end BUT you still allowed Kingfisher to fall from grace when it was on the cusp of being a world beater. Good riddance to you from the aviation industry.

jimyvr
Mar 11, 12, 2:52 pm
To the fat 'dirty pervy paedo uncle type' one: You are a shame as you have such loyal staff who would defend you to the end BUT you still allowed Kingfisher to fall from grace when it was on the cusp of being a world beater. Good riddance to you from the aviation industry.

Isn't it a bit premature as well to start blaming people as if you know how to run an airline, especially in India.

TPJ
Mar 11, 12, 3:13 pm
A friend sent me this picture; seems like someone jumped the gun when it came to oneworld :
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/jasepl/itow.jpg

Soon they're going to have to blacken the whole thing.

These are pictures from BUD Airport post MA bankruptcy:

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/eOrak6SGYopumozwp9f8JjXwdxXowt4adRm_dtmpIEk?feat=d irectlink

IT didn't make it to oneWorld and MA is gone, AA under Chapter 11...

Flying Bat
Mar 11, 12, 5:41 pm
A sad reflection of the sad state of the world economy. That said, some models continue to work well ( budget end ), sadly KingF, Spanair, unable to compete.

jasepl
Mar 11, 12, 9:31 pm
Isn't it a bit premature as well to start blaming people as if you know how to run an airline, especially in India.

It's not like the Kingfisher managers have ever had a clue either. Not surprising, since none of them had a background in the business.

That said, you're partly right, in that mismanagement is the biggest cause of the dire predicament of nearly all of the airlines of India.

Punjabi007
Mar 11, 12, 11:52 pm
That said, you're partly right, in that mismanagement is the biggest cause of the dire predicament of nearly all of the airlines of India.

Management has new blackmail for the Pilots.... Maybe this was the plan Keyser was talking about, asking Pilots to pay up the airline

KINGFISHER MAKES IT TOUGH FOR PILOTS TO QUIT.... DEMANDING PAYUP FOR PAST 6 MONTHS (http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Mumbai/Kingfisher-makes-it-tough-for-pilots-to-quit/Article1-823998.aspx)

blackmamba
Mar 11, 12, 11:59 pm
The woeful death of a 5-star airline. It goes to show that even good service doesn't cut it nowadays.

This is a sad goodbye to a what-could-have-been.

Punjabi007
Mar 12, 12, 12:41 am
First strike reports coming in through TWITTER from @HTTWEETS @FIRSTPOSTIN


HT - Three Kingfisher flights from Delhi cancelled; pilots go on strike : reports #Kingfisher #ht

FIRSTPOST - #Kingfisher pilots skip work, 3 flights from Delhi cancelled

------------
Another news I got is their flights at Mumbai would also have a halt in fuel supply in next 24 hours!
The End seems near!

camsean
Mar 12, 12, 12:47 am
I was trying to book a flight today on IT for Dubai against there special fare of Rs 14000/- return offered in association with VIA.COM, when checked they informed me that they have exhausted all bookings with Airline and as per circular they have received from IT is to sieze all bookings 25th Onwards.



Wow you are a brave guy buying tickets as the deck chairs are shuffled.

PVDtoDEL
Mar 12, 12, 12:54 am
Management has new blackmail for the Pilots.... Maybe this was the plan Keyser was talking about, asking Pilots to pay up the airline

KINGFISHER MAKES IT TOUGH FOR PILOTS TO QUIT.... DEMANDING PAYUP FOR PAST 6 MONTHS (http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Mumbai/Kingfisher-makes-it-tough-for-pilots-to-quit/Article1-823998.aspx)
Pretty useless plan...

Staff don't need to formally quit. Just don't show up for work. The difference between quitting and getting fired right isn't particularly important... Any future employer will understand the situation.

PVDtoDEL
Mar 12, 12, 1:25 am
Kingfisher pilots skip work, 40 flights cancelled

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/kingfisher-pilots-skip-work-40-flights-cancelled/238403-7.html
Several Kingfisher Airlines pilots stayed away from work on Monday over non-payment of salaries for over three months and indifferent attitude of the management leading to over 40 flights being cancelled across the country.

Kingfisher cancelled 11 flights from Mumbai and three from Delhi after pilots failed to turn up. The cash-strapped airline has also suspended operations at the Kolkata airport.

Over 20 per cent of Kingfisher flights which have already been curtailed will be hit hard. Pilots have also demanded a meeting with Kingfisher CEO Sanjay Aggawral to assure them payment of all dues. The airline maintains that it has back-up to operate flights for now.

...

Boghopper
Mar 12, 12, 1:31 am
Pretty much. Kingfisher has been a goner for months now. Every one of the 50 daily news updates we get on them is just another step towards bankruptcy...

Shutting London is a pretty big move.. It's their flagship route, so I would have expected that to be the last route they cut. Maybe they're expecting to lose their A330s to repo/lease expiration soon :confused:

Maybe they'll get repo'd if they show up in London.

tom tulpe
Mar 12, 12, 2:04 am
Pretty useless plan...

Staff don't need to formally quit. Just don't show up for work. The difference between quitting and getting fired right isn't particularly important... Any future employer will understand the situation.
You really need to get into the real world sometimes. The plan is cunning and mean and evil, effectively a way of siphoning off any signing bonuses for pilots. No formal end of contract = no hiring at another airline.

jasepl
Mar 12, 12, 2:16 am
Pretty useless plan...

Staff don't need to formally quit. Just don't show up for work. The difference between quitting and getting fired right isn't particularly important... Any future employer will understand the situation.

Says someone who's never had a job.

The difference between the two is as vast as the difference between "fact" and "opinion".

Maybe they'll get repo'd if they show up in London.

Hahaha ! These days, fortunately, the risk of repo is everywhere, except perhaps in Cuba or North Korea or something.

tom tulpe
Mar 12, 12, 2:24 am
Maybe they'll get repo'd if they show up in London.
Good idea, as in other news (http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/kingfisher-owes-bank-of-scotland-216m-uk-high-court-369048/) (a few days old already, but still), Bank of Scotland have obtained a summary judgement (http://lexisweb.co.uk/cases/2012/january/bank-of-scotland-plc-and-another-v-united-breweries-holdings-ltd) againts United Breweries Ltd. for US$ 21.6 million. UB was apparently a guarantor on IT's aircraft lease for the ATRs.

This is getting pretty uncomfortable for VJM...

PVDtoDEL
Mar 12, 12, 2:50 am
Says someone who's never had a job.

The difference between the two is as vast as the difference between "fact" and "opinion".
Quite contrary, I've had a few jobs... I've been in multiple contracts at the same time as well...

Didn't occur to me that another airline wouldn't be able to hire an ex-IT pilot until their IT contract was voided....

If that's the case, this is truly terrible. Hopefully the airline will shut down soon, so that these staff are free to go to the job of their choice... It's not like they are ever going to get their paycheck anyway...

jasepl
Mar 12, 12, 2:56 am
Stocking shelves and delivering newspapers don't count.

And it isn't restricted to Kingfisher or the airline industry.

No business will want to hire anyone who doesn't have a documented clean break from the previous employer. Whilst this may be more or a requirement in India, it is commonplace everywhere.

You really need to get into the real world sometimes. The plan is cunning and mean and evil, effectively a way of siphoning off any signing bonuses for pilots. No formal end of contract = no hiring at another airline.
I agree. To add to that, a lot of the recent manoeuvres seem to be leading to one result : they will wail it was beyond their control.

They will blame the pilots striking work, because they weren't paid, because the accounts were frozen, because… All the while very conveniently ignoring the fact that the freeze was precipitated because Kingfisher cheated both the exchequer and the employees (twice!) by chronically failing to pay their dues.

We could go even further back and, in searching for the true provenance of IT's troubles we will likely arrive at the day the me-too afflicted Fat One decided he needed another vanity project in the form of an airline.

He certainly seems determined to extract his pound of flesh. Although why he would want any more flesh defeats me.

PVDtoDEL
Mar 12, 12, 3:10 am
No business will want to hire anyone who doesn't have a documented clean break from the previous employer. Whilst this may be more or a requirement in India, it is commonplace everywhere.
Good to know :)
Learn something new every day ;)
they will wail it was beyond their control.

They will blame the pilots striking work, because they weren't paid, because the accounts were frozen, because… All the while very conveniently ignoring the fact that the freeze was precipitated because Kingfisher cheated both the exchequer and the employees (twice!) by chronically failing to pay their dues.

I don't think that the public will buy the idea that it was beyond their control - it's a bit late to try to convince people of that now.

Punjabi007
Mar 12, 12, 3:19 am
As usual blaming the frozen Accounts

Official IT Statement 12th March 2012 - Limited operations (http://www.flykingfisher.com/media-center/press-releases/statement-from-kfa-12thmarch2012.aspx)

Statement from KFA - 12th March 2012
The flight loads have reduced because of our limited distribution ability caused by IATA suspension. We are therefore combining some of our flights. Also, some of the flights are being cancelled as a result of employee agitation on account of delayed salaries. This situation has arisen as a consequence of our bank accounts having been frozen by the tax authorities. We are making all possible efforts to remedy this temporary situation.

We will operate approximately 80% of our planned schedule. We expect to return to our full schedule shortly. Those guests whose flights are affected are being notified. They are either being accommodated on other airlines or offered a full refund.

Prakash Mirpuri
Vice President - Corporate Communications
Kingfisher Airlines

SQ421
Mar 12, 12, 3:45 am
No business will want to hire anyone who doesn't have a documented clean break from the previous employer. Whilst this may be more or a requirement in India, it is commonplace everywhere.



A bit OT but only in India have I heard of new employers wanting to see evidence of your current salary, your age/birth certificate/passport/marital status (the latter of which i found was common on CV's!!) and also a "termination letter" before joining the new employer.

Haven't seen that in Australia yet (and when I finish at one employer and join another, the onus lies on me to completed the relevant processes and obligations), save for having to show a proof of citizenship because some of my clients tend to be Commonwealth Government Departments.

Now lets get back to talking about Kingfisher.

PVDtoDEL
Mar 12, 12, 4:10 am
Haven't seen that in Australia yet (and when I finish at one employer and join another, the onus lies on me to completed the relevant processes and obligations), save for having to show a proof of citizenship because some of my clients tend to be Commonwealth Government Departments.


That is precisely my experience in the USA as well... Didn't realize that they have arcane requirements like that in India.

jasepl
Mar 12, 12, 4:48 am
A bit OT but only in India have I heard of new employers wanting to see evidence of your current salary, your age/birth certificate/passport/marital status (the latter of which i found was common on CV's!!) and also a "termination letter" before joining the new employer.

You forgot photographs!

Some of the information they ask for here is rather baffling. At times, applicants tend to include things that the employer doesn't require, just because that's the most common way.

That is precisely my experience in the USA as well... Didn't realize that they have arcane requirements like that in India.
Add that to the list of things you claimed to be factual (and I mean the English language definition of the word here) that later turned out to be something else entirely. I'd suggest you stop whilst you're behind.

By the way, many of the information requirements aren't archaic (arcane means something else entirely; find a dictionary yet?); the method of collecting that information is. Businesses in other countries rely more on third-party background checks to gather the same details (which, really, are more reliable) rather than ask the person for the information directly. It's comparable to having the university send your transcripts directly vs handing in a copy of your marksheet yourself.

I've got emails and even phone calls from America asking to verify all kinds of things about people I supervised or was listed as a reference for, even several years after moving out of the country.

Some Indian businesses have started using background checks too, but that is yet a rarity.

Of course, no one does a background check before hiring someone to stack shelves or scoop ice cream.

SQ421
Mar 12, 12, 5:21 am
You forgot photographs!
Some of the information they ask for here is rather baffling. At times, applicants tend to include things that the employer doesn't require, just because that's the most common way.


<OT>

Don't get me started!

One of my gigs involved contracting via HP Enterprise Services, and HPES at that point was managing its contractors in Australasia via MphasiS in India. I left my marital status blank on that form and had to go a few rounds with the drone at their HR Processing Centre who couldn't figure out why I'd not answer the question and why I couldn't just select whichever option best described my marital status, while I tried to get it across to him that I simply wasn't required to answer that question and thus I wasn't going to.

</OT>

hyderago
Mar 12, 12, 5:22 am
I actually think that there are such requirements like that in the US and Australia too (for full-time employment jobs, not random contracts), but they are just hidden among the paperwork. When one switches jobs, one is required to complete and sign all kinds of paperwork. I bet somewhere in there is a legal clause that says the new employee has severed legal ties with all other corporation. Another reason I think such requirements exist in the western world is because we often hear of firms suing other firms for illegally poaching and employing their employees.

SQ421
Mar 12, 12, 5:31 am
I actually think that there are such requirements like that in the US and Australia too (for full-time employment jobs, not random contracts), but they are just hidden among the paperwork. When one switches jobs, one is required to complete and sign all kinds of paperwork. I bet somewhere in there is a legal clause that says the new employee has severed legal ties with all other corporation. Another reason I think such requirements exist in the western world is because we often hear of firms suing other firms for illegally poaching and employing their employees.

Never worked in the US but in changing jobs in Australia, the employment contract that I've signed has a clause which basically gets you to agree that you won't engage in any outside employment in direct or perceived conflict with the business of the employer without explicit consent of the said employer.

The clause exists, but I've never had to show proof saying I was only working for that one employer at that point in time. I suppose once I've singed that contract, any act to the contrary would be a violation of my employment conditions and thus result in an immediate termination (form both jobs, were I two-timing) and so the risk simply isn't worth taking.

Unless you happen to be this guy I know who was hired in India by a headhunter/recruiter recruiting for Investment Banking backoffice operations and this guy's job was to land a job at call centres, find out which staff was "poachworthy" and then poach them for his firm to place with their clients.

jasepl
Mar 12, 12, 5:33 am
I left my marital status blank on that form and had to go a few rounds with the drone at their HR Processing Centre who couldn't figure out why I'd not answer the question and why I couldn't just select whichever option best described my marital status, while I tried to get it across to him that I simply wasn't required to answer that question and thus I wasn't going to.
Hahah! If you write "Single", depending on your age, be prepared to be asked "Why?".

Oh, and another one is religion. Thankfully that is less and less prevalent now.

I've always left it blank or written "n/a", because it's no one's business and I don't have one in any case. God knows what they do to the form after it's handed in, but I have once seen the BMC official cross out 'n/a" and write "Christian".

I didn't know I was supposed to be Christian. But then I suppose any weird-looking name automatically gets classified as that.


I actually think that there are such requirements like that in the US and Australia too (for full-time employment jobs, not random contracts), but they are just hidden among the paperwork. When one switches jobs, one is required to complete and sign all kinds of paperwork. I bet somewhere in there is a legal clause that says the new employee has severed legal ties with all other corporation. Another reason I think such requirements exist in the western world is because we often hear of firms suing other firms for illegally poaching and employing their employees.

Yep. Also, in general, they tend more to take you at face value in certain countries, where a simple declaration of truth will suffice. In Asia, most people won't take that risk, and rightly so.


Anyway, to bring Kingfisher back in, if the employees merely don't turn up to work, they won't get paid. If they want another job, they must show up, resign, serve out the notice, get a written all-clear and then they will likely be able to start working elsewhere.

They may or may not get paid during that time. Or never.

Keyser
Mar 12, 12, 5:37 am
The woeful death of a 5-star airline. It goes to show that even good service doesn't cut it nowadays.

This is a sad goodbye to a what-could-have-been.

the whole 5 star bit was highly overrated....

SQ421
Mar 12, 12, 5:39 am
Hahah! If you write "Single", depending on your age, be prepared to be asked "Why?".


As if having my relatives ask that was not enough.

Thankfully, not my parents. Yet. :D

SQ421
Mar 12, 12, 5:39 am
the whole 5 star bit was highly overrated....

Skytrax. Enough said.

hyderago
Mar 12, 12, 5:47 am
Skytrash

Keyser
Mar 12, 12, 5:49 am
In a couple of weeks, internationally, IT are ending all operations at Bangkok, Dhaka, Kathmandu and London. In addition, their website shows no flights to Hong Kong or Singapore either.

Shutting London is a pretty big move.. It's their flagship route, so I would have expected that to be the last route they cut. Maybe they're expecting to lose their A330s to repo/lease expiration soon :confused:

if this is indeed the case then it would make sense for them to inform all passengers who already have flights booked after their route shut down dates....my del-lhr flight in end april still shows confirmed on the 'manage booking' section of their website....

jasepl
Mar 12, 12, 5:49 am
As if having my relatives ask that was not enough.

Thankfully, not my parents. Yet. :D
Won't ever stop random strangers though !

Skytrash
Haha! They still list Kingfisher as 5-star, but with an "under review" tag.

if this is indeed the case then it would make sense for them to inform all passengers who already have flights booked after their route shut down dates....my del-lhr flight in end april still shows confirmed on the 'manage booking' section of their website....
Well, the website also says they will operate over 80% of their flights and that nothing that's going wrong is Kingfisher's own fault...

YuropFlyer
Mar 13, 12, 4:01 am
I hope they'll refuse Mallya entry into Australia for the GP - pay your employees, fatass, instead of travelling the world and showing off!

SQ421
Mar 13, 12, 5:32 am
I hope they'll refuse Mallya entry into Australia for the GP - pay your employees, fatass, instead of travelling the world and showing off!

This is Australia's business how?

I hope they let him in and get him to spend more dollars in the country. Victorian economy needs stimulating :D

hyderago
Mar 13, 12, 5:50 am
Why is that Mallya's business either? Modern society developed with the creation of the firm as a separate legal entity, different from the founder/owner. Mallya is not responsible for paying the salaries of Kingfisher Airlines's employees. He is free to spend his money however he wants. The only argument you can make is that Mallya is responsible to his shareholders to do his job as Chairman of IT.

SQ421
Mar 13, 12, 5:54 am
Why is that Mallya's business either? Modern society developed with the creation of the firm as a separate legal entity, different from the founder/owner. Mallya is not responsible for paying the salaries of Kingfisher Airlines's employees. He is free to spend his money however he wants. The only argument you can make is that Mallya is responsible to his shareholders to do his job as Chairman of IT.

Couldn't agree more.

jasepl
Mar 13, 12, 6:22 am
Why is that Mallya's business either? Modern society developed with the creation of the firm as a separate legal entity, different from the founder/owner. Mallya is not responsible for paying the salaries of Kingfisher Airlines's employees. He is free to spend his money however he wants. The only argument you can make is that Mallya is responsible to his shareholders to do his job as Chairman of IT.

Absolutely.

But the juxtapositions of people unpaid for months whilst his rather large and blingy frame is tastelessly pictured on race courses and yachts and IPL auctions are vulgar and disgraceful.

He's not an employee of the company; he's the founder and chairman. That comes with responsibilities, even if those aren't legal.

Yaatri
Mar 13, 12, 8:01 am
just shot myself in the head.. multiple times. heard about the agitation of the pilot this morning and tried to cancel the tickets and get a refund, since its an online booking i spent 90 mins on the phone with no luck.
IT's new policy:
Any one who can't do it right, the first time, deserves needs no refund, and if you had succeeded, refund wouldn't have done you any good.

decided to make an alternative booking on cleartrip and screwed up.
had bought tickets for the sister in law to bangkok yesterday on cleartrip and ended up changing locations and not the dates.
booked us on a one way trip from Bangalore to Bombay on 13th August instead of 13th March. Cancellations cost me 1000 per pax.. :(

whole thing is a total effing fiasco of govt of India proportions. somehow i blame Vijay Mallya and the Indian govt for this.Which of the above is Govt of India fiasco? :D

GUWonder
Mar 13, 12, 8:10 am
IT's new policy:
Any one who can't do it right, the first time deserves needs no refund, and if you had succeeded, refund wouldn't have done you any good.
Which of the above is Govt of India fiasco? :D

It's not even a fiasco of Indian Govt proportions. :D

skinnylizard
Mar 13, 12, 9:29 am
IT's new policy:
Any one who can't do it right, the first time deserves needs no refund, and if you had succeeded, refund wouldn't have done you any good.
Which of the above is Govt of India fiasco? :D

none of it.. im 31, cant blame others for my stupidity.. but its nice to blame someone ..

AA_EXP09
Mar 13, 12, 9:29 am
none of it.. im 31, cant blame others for my stupidity.. but its nice to blame someone ..

Especially when it's your fault.

Yaatri
Mar 13, 12, 9:37 am
That is precisely my experience in the USA as well... Didn't realize that they have arcane requirements like that in India.

It's all OT, but in the U.S. many corporations are reluctant to give negative feedback. A prospective employer can do criminal background check, credit check etc. Even if you have been fired, your previous employer is unlikely to say much beyond the dates of your employment.

Yaatri
Mar 13, 12, 9:46 am
the whole 5 star bit was highly overrated....

Five star, luxurious/deluxe, continental (food) have no specific meaning in India. Anyone and everyone is free to use these phrases at will. :p

Yaatri
Mar 13, 12, 9:51 am
Absolutely.

But the juxtapositions of people unpaid for months whilst his rather large and blingy frame is tastelessly pictured on race courses and yachts and IPL auctions are vulgar and disgraceful.

He's not an employee of the company; he's the founder and chairman. That comes with responsibilities, even if those aren't legal.

You can't make one corporation pay for loses of another, even when controlled by the same person.

hyderago
Mar 13, 12, 10:02 am
Absolutely.

But the juxtapositions of people unpaid for months whilst his rather large and blingy frame is tastelessly pictured on race courses and yachts and IPL auctions are vulgar and disgraceful.

He's not an employee of the company; he's the founder and chairman. That comes with responsibilities, even if those aren't legal.

I agree with you about the legal stuff. Mallya definitely doesn't have a legal obligation to pay IT employees. I actually don't even think Mallya has a moral obligation, but maybe that's just me. I agree he's being a douche by flaunting his wealth. But in my books, that still does not saddle him with any kind of moral/societal responsibility.

jasepl
Mar 13, 12, 11:03 pm
Evidently,

* Bangalore - Dubai = gone
* Bangalore – Dubai = gone
* Bombay – Bangkok = gone
* Bombay – Dubai = gone
* Bombay – Hong Kong = gone
* Bombay – London = gone
* Bombay – Singapore = gone
* Delhi – Bangkok = gone
* Delhi – Hong Kong = gone
* Delhi – Kathmandu = gone
* Delhi – London = gone
* Kolkotto – Bangkok = gone
* Kolkotto – Dhaka = gone
* Madras – Colombo = gone
* Trichy – Colombo = gone


All of these are gone already, or will be soon. Leaving, oddly, Delhi - Dubai as the sole surviving international route.

Let's see how long that lasts.

http://airlineroute.net/2012/03/14/it-s12intl-update2/

Keyser
Mar 13, 12, 11:20 pm
Evidently,

* Bangalore - Dubai = gone
* Bangalore – Dubai = gone
* Bombay – Bangkok = gone
* Bombay – Dubai = gone
* Bombay – Hong Kong = gone
* Bombay – London = gone
* Bombay – Singapore = gone
* Delhi – Bangkok = gone
* Delhi – Hong Kong = gone
* Delhi – Kathmandu = gone
* Delhi – London = gone
* Kolkotto – Bangkok = gone
* Kolkotto – Dhaka = gone
* Madras – Colombo = gone
* Trichy – Colombo = gone


All of these are gone already, or will be soon. Leaving, oddly, Delhi - Dubai as the sole surviving international route.

Let's see how long that lasts.

http://airlineroute.net/2012/03/14/it-s12intl-update2/

i wonder what's going to happen to all the people who have already bought their tickets????

PVDtoDEL
Mar 13, 12, 11:22 pm
i wonder what's going to happen to all the people who have already bought their tickets????

They can't rebook people easily because of the ICH suspension, so I assume that they will offer refunds.. However, considering that IT doesn't have any cash to pay for the refunds, I don't know...

Hopefully they won't just leave pax SOL.

jasepl
Mar 13, 12, 11:25 pm
Kingfisher's latest press release, that looks like it was written by one of the clueless JetChildren.

Some highlights:
* There is a lot of sensational speculation and assumption about us.
* Our prime mission is to maintain schedule integrity
* We request one and all to appreciate the serious handicaps we face
* our wide body overseas operations that are bleeding heavily
* We are trying to protect the interests of our valuable employees.

Dear oh dear oh dear.

http://www.flykingfisher.com/media-center/press-releases/statement-from-kingfisher-airlines.aspx

PVDtoDEL
Mar 13, 12, 11:28 pm
Kingfisher's latest press release, that looks like it was written by one of the clueless JetChildren.

Some highlights:
* There is a lot of sensational speculation and assumption about us.
* Our prime mission is to maintain schedule integrity
* We request one and all to appreciate the serious handicaps we face
* our wide body overseas operations that are bleeding heavily
* We are trying to protect the interests of our valuable employees.

Dear oh dear oh dear.

http://www.flykingfisher.com/media-center/press-releases/statement-from-kingfisher-airlines.aspx
I like the way they spun the A330 getting impounded to "We would like to confirm that we are curtailing our wide body overseas operations that are bleeding heavily. To this end we have already returned one Airbus A 330-200 to the lessor in the UK. Positive and immediate action is being taken on all fronts to cut costs."

As if they had a choice.

Yaatri
Mar 14, 12, 12:07 am
i wonder what's going to happen to all the people who have already bought their tickets????

They can all blame the Govt of India. :D Precedence has already been set. ;)

onlysuites
Mar 14, 12, 1:33 am
When did the 330 get repo'd?

jasepl
Mar 14, 12, 1:35 am
When did the 330 get repo'd?

Unconfirmed report is that that happened at Heathrow last night.

There have been sightings of it sitting in an LHR hangar and today's flight back is cancelled. So something's up for sure; a repo being most likely.

onlysuites
Mar 14, 12, 2:00 am
Unconfirmed report is that that happened at Heathrow last night.

There have been sightings of it sitting in an LHR hangar and today's flight back is cancelled. So something's up for sure; a repo being most likely.

Is it the BOM flight that is affected?

PVDtoDEL
Mar 14, 12, 4:32 am
Tweet I just saw from AirlineRoute:

Kingfisher Cancels "last surviving International route", Delhi - Dubai, starting 25MAR12

CommittedLurker
Mar 14, 12, 9:12 am
The fact that Kingfisher is trying to put a positive spin on the unconfirmed repo at LHR would be nothing new.

I recall the same thing happening a few months ago, when Kingfisher grounded KF RED flights also, to "focus on the lucrative full service segment of the market". :D

These guys cannot be trusted to say anything truthful.

jasepl
Mar 14, 12, 11:08 pm
Oh, and another one is religion. Thankfully that is less and less prevalent now.
Totally OT, but I spoke too soon.

I was at the hospital early this morning and had to register.

The form asked for the usual basic information, name age etc. It also wanted to know my religion.

I put a line through it and turned in the form.

Woman: "What's your religion?"
Me: "How does it matter?"
Woman: "Some people are Jain and they want Jain food, so we need to know."
Me: "I'm going to be gone in an hour and you're not going to feed me so never mind."
Woman: "But I have to write something."
Me: "Write 'none'."

Next thing I know, she wrote "Christian". :rolleyes:

PVDtoDEL
Mar 15, 12, 12:41 am
Totally OT, but I spoke too soon.

I was at the hospital early this morning and had to register.

The form asked for the usual basic information, name age etc. It also wanted to know my religion.

I put a line through it and turned in the form.

Woman: "What's your religion?"
Me: "How does it matter?"
Woman: "Some people are Jain and they want Jain food, so we need to know."
Me: "I'm going to be gone in an hour and you're not going to feed me so never mind."
Woman: "But I have to write something."
Me: "Write 'none'."

Next thing I know, she wrote "Christian". :rolleyes:

You could always say "Pastafarian" - it's always fun to watch the reactions after telling someone in India that is my religion...

Keyser
Mar 15, 12, 2:18 am
Oh, and another one is religion. Thankfully that is less and less prevalent now.

not in rural india....over there caste & religion are the most prevalent things....

jasepl
Mar 15, 12, 2:45 am
You can't make one corporation pay for loses of another, even when controlled by the same person.
But when one corporation controls the other corporation?

In any event, this is not about making anyone do anything. It's about the responsibility (not) assumed by an entrepreneur, moral, legal, or financial.

not in rural india....over there caste & religion are the most prevalent things....
That's true. But this was in Bombay and it was a hospital registration form.

Time and place remain elusive concepts !

And still OT, but remain clueless about the meaning of caste :p

Yaatri
Mar 15, 12, 11:01 am
Totally OT, but I spoke too soon.

I was at the hospital early this morning and had to register.

The form asked for the usual basic information, name age etc. It also wanted to know my religion.

I put a line through it and turned in the form.

Woman: "What's your religion?"
Me: "How does it matter?"
Woman: "Some people are Jain and they want Jain food, so we need to know."
Me: "I'm going to be gone in an hour and you're not going to feed me so never mind."
Woman: "But I have to write something."
Me: "Write 'none'."

Next thing I know, she wrote "Christian". :rolleyes:

A hospital asking for religion has valid reasons. You don;t have to answer the question if you don;t care for it. But if you don't, you can't sue the hospital for not handling your body according to your religious preferences, nor for circumcising or not circumcising your newborn son. :D

Yaatri
Mar 15, 12, 11:03 am
But when one corporation controls the other corporation?
Not normally, unless you can prove that money was funnel illegally from one corporation to another.

GUWonder
Mar 15, 12, 12:01 pm
Not normally, unless you can prove that money was funnel illegally from one corporation to another.

For the US, the above is a correct representation in the main. However, the above doesn't hold true across all jurisdictions beyond the US: in some places, some corporation owners/controllers may still be liable for the debts of an owned/controlled corporation/subsidiary corporation even when there is no unlawful activity involved.

Yaatri
Mar 15, 12, 3:18 pm
For the US, the above is a correct representation in the main. However, the above doesn't hold true across all jurisdictions beyond the US: in some places, some corporation owners/controllers may still be liable for the debts of an owned/controlled corporation/subsidiary corporation even when there is no unlawful activity involved.

Hmmm. I still reserve the right to differ with you. Isn't a corporate entity different from the individual who owns it?

GUWonder
Mar 15, 12, 3:46 pm
Hmmm. I still reserve the right to differ with you. Isn't a corporate entity different from the individual who owns it?

Of course the corporate entity and the individual(s) who own it are generally different, but the obligations of a corporation are not universally restricted to just remaining the obligation of the corporate entity itself. The compartmentalization of obligations of the corporation is such that obligations of the corporation are firmly separated from that of obligations of the owners and/or management team when it comes to US corporations in a US jurisdiction -- it's even true of foreign corporations in a lot of foreign jurisdictions, but it's not the case universally.

AA_EXP09
Mar 15, 12, 3:53 pm
Tweet I just saw from AirlineRoute:

Kingfisher Cancels "last surviving International route", Delhi - Dubai, starting 25MAR12

At least the affected pax can book on EK+TG or CX.

Aasawari
Mar 16, 12, 10:02 am
A query...I hope u can help me with it..I am in Glasgow came by Kingfisher airlines n am returning on May 8. Now the BA code share arrangement has gone for a toss, the KA site shoes' no flight status' if you try to find out abt the London/Glasgow flights. In such a situation, what can I do? Will KA make alternative arrangements forme to fly back to Mumbai?

Punjabi007
Mar 16, 12, 10:17 am
A query...I hope u can help me with it..I am in Glasgow came by Kingfisher airlines n am returning on May 8. Now the BA code share arrangement has gone for a toss, the KA site shoes' no flight status' if you try to find out abt the London/Glasgow flights. In such a situation, what can I do? Will KA make alternative arrangements forme to fly back to Mumbai?

Contact them and ask your options. They might offer a alternative or refund. That's just about it I guess.

GUWonder
Mar 16, 12, 10:31 am
A query...I hope u can help me with it..I am in Glasgow came by Kingfisher airlines n am returning on May 8. Now the BA code share arrangement has gone for a toss, the KA site shoes' no flight status' if you try to find out abt the London/Glasgow flights. In such a situation, what can I do? Will KA make alternative arrangements forme to fly back to Mumbai?

They ought to make alternative arrangements so as to perform in delivering services as per the contract of carriage to which IT is bound (on a partially-used return ticket this would mean generally flying you back on an alternative carrier although refunds are sometimes offered too); however, what they ought to do and what they actually do are far from being one and the same, particularly as IT's cash access is limited and other carriers have reasonable concerns about IT's ability and willingness to pay other carriers as required of IT and may not be so willing to take on IT customers for what may turn out to be "free". Also, even if IT offers a refund, would the refund even get processed and paid out?

PVDtoDEL
Mar 16, 12, 10:45 am
They ought to make alternative arrangements so as to perform in delivering services as per the contract of carriage to which IT is bound (on a partially-used return ticket this would mean generally flying you back on an alternative carrier although refunds are sometimes offered too); however, what they ought to do and what they actually do are far from being one and the same, particularly as IT's cash access is limited and other carriers have reasonable concerns about IT's ability and willingness to pay other carriers as required of IT and may not be so willing to take on IT customers for what may turn out to be "free". Also, even if IT offers a refund, would the refund even get processed and paid out?

It's awfully difficult for IT to rebook you on other carriers as long as interline agreements keep on being cancelled and IT remains suspended from the ICH...

Even AI has IT on cash & carry now for stranded pax...

YuropFlyer
Mar 16, 12, 1:54 pm
A query...I hope u can help me with it..I am in Glasgow came by Kingfisher airlines n am returning on May 8. Now the BA code share arrangement has gone for a toss, the KA site shoes' no flight status' if you try to find out abt the London/Glasgow flights. In such a situation, what can I do? Will KA make alternative arrangements forme to fly back to Mumbai?

Probably your best bet is to go ahead and book yourself a one-way fare, as your chance of IT taking care of you and rebooking you onto another airline is very, very slim. Mallya has grabbed the money and run already, AI will most probably be death coming May. (And even if not, they won't be in a hurry to try to bring those people stranded by their fault home..)

Good thing for you is, One-Way fares appear to be still quite cheapish, 8th May showing as low as 343£ from LHR. That's with Gulf Air, an airline you might prefer to avoid, as well as the 349£ for Air India, but for as little as 356£ you can fly with Turkish, which is a very good carrier.

Direct flight from LHR with Jet would be 384£.

Flights on other dates in May could be had for a few pounds less, but not much.

Best offer from Glasgow to Mumbai is for 435£, basically the same flights from Jet as above, with the connection to LHR by BA, for the additional 50 Quids or so.

Emirates would be 457£ - if you prefer to have the "short end" of your connection at the end, go with this connection, besides that, there is no big difference in time needed.

Next time, probably better to invest a few £ more and choose a reliable carrier over the "King of Good Times" - as you can see, all the "Good times" have left you is headache, the regular ending of a "Good Time" night ;)

LH757
Mar 16, 12, 3:01 pm
-----

LH757
Mar 16, 12, 3:03 pm
"The King of Good Times" has virtually eaten your money, and you will never get it back.:mad:

It is a shame that the Indian Govt. still wants to bail out the airline, and keep it running at all costs inorder to satisfy their ego.:td:

This is the first time such a event happening with a Indian carrier, and is an eye-opening event for foreign investors risking to pump money into unreliable markets.;)

It is just a matter of time the over bloated unreliable Indian aviation network collapses leaving behind just one or little more carriers with consolidated routes similar to the 90's.

LH757
Mar 16, 12, 3:08 pm
Probably your best bet is to go ahead and book yourself a one-way fare, as your chance of IT taking care of you and rebooking you onto another airline is very, very slim. Mallya has grabbed the money and run already, AI will most probably be death coming May. (And even if not, they won't be in a hurry to try to bring those people stranded by their fault home..)

Good thing for you is, One-Way fares appear to be still quite cheapish, 8th May showing as low as 343£ from LHR. That's with Gulf Air, an airline you might prefer to avoid, as well as the 349£ for Air India, but for as little as 356£ you can fly with Turkish, which is a very good carrier.

Direct flight from LHR with Jet would be 384£.

Flights on other dates in May could be had for a few pounds less, but not much.

Best offer from Glasgow to Mumbai is for 435£, basically the same flights from Jet as above, with the connection to LHR by BA, for the additional 50 Quids or so.

Emirates would be 457£ - if you prefer to have the "short end" of your connection at the end, go with this connection, besides that, there is no big difference in time needed.

Next time, probably better to invest a few £ more and choose a reliable carrier over the "King of Good Times" - as you can see, all the "Good times" have left you is headache, the regular ending of a "Good Time" night ;)


Which carrier is reliable now??;)

AA_EXP09
Mar 16, 12, 4:15 pm
Which carrier is reliable now??;)

KE

YuropFlyer
Mar 16, 12, 4:34 pm
Which carrier is reliable now??;)

For convenient flights from India to UK?

BA, LH, AF, EK, LX, Qatar, SriLankan, Egypt Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, Kenya Airways, TG, SQ, Malaysia Airlines (if you don't mind the detour)..

There is plenty of choice.. only listing those with a max. of 1 stop...

onlysuites
Mar 17, 12, 2:14 am
It is a shame that the Indian Govt. still wants to bail out the airline, and keep it running at all costs inorder to satisfy their ego.

That's the first I have heard of this. The Indian Govt has repeatedly said that they will not bail them out.



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