His application had been knocked because his sponsor (his brother - a doctor resident in UAE) had used the PNR where a ticket number had been requested on the visa form, which i think goes through Etihad atever airline you travel on. The application as knocked back and both brothers entered panic mode. I calmed the Mumbai one down by suggesting he'd not be the first Indian visitor to the Gulf travelling low-cost, and suggested his brother contact the ministry, or Etihad, for clarification. That's what he did and it was all sorted out within a day.

I was involved simply because I'd helped them sort out the original (Jet) tickets, or at least minimised their losses by finding the Indigo seats. No good deed goes unpunished, so I'm pleased to avoid being blamed for screwing up the trip