Comes cheap, but with a price

Kirti Dua 

NOWADAYS online purchases and e-transactions are part of our daily routine. If somebody is smart enough, he can have good savings by availing cash-back schemes on certain bank cards or by using ‘promo codes’. My son has a knack for using these techniques, which is why his services are often availed for many online purchases. 

Recently I had to go to Bikaner. My return journey to Ludhiana was via Delhi, on an Air India flight. At the last moment, my wife managed to get leave and desired to accompany me. But by then, the airfare had doubled. I asked my son if he could use his expertise to get us a cheaper ticket. After some web search, he said he was booking the ticket using some promo codes and sent me the reservation details. 

On the scheduled day, we reached Bikaner airport an hour before the flight. After the scanning of our luggage, we were in the queue for boarding pass. I handed the reservation slips at the desk and made a request for a window seat.  The person on the desk had my PNR on the screen, but could not find the name of my wife on the list. After a few minutes, he called his supervisor to help him, but he too was not successful.  He suggested me to contact the person who had booked the ticket. I immediately phoned my son in Delhi, who forwarded the booking email to me in no time. In this email also, there were booking details of the flight but no mention of the PNR. We were getting uncomfortable as there were people standing behind us to get their boarding pass. 

The supervisor took us to the airport manager and explained our situation to him. In the meantime, my son called me and dropped the bombshell that the booking could not be confirmed as the money deducted was transferred back to his account due to some technical reasons. 

I enquired from the airport manager if it was possible to get a new ticket. We checked the web and the discounted ticket was for Rs 3,100, but the e-window had closed about an hour before the departure. But the full-fare ticket could be purchased before takeoff. The dilemma was that the ticket would cost Rs 19,000. 

Despite the fact that there was vacancy in the plane, we could not board it. I did not have the courage to ask him if a promo code was applicable to this full-fare ticket. Before the aftereffects of promo codes took the form of an explosive outburst, I hurriedly took a cab for the Bikaner railway station to re-plan our onward journey.