Bug in Indigo web check-in software
Disclaimer: This post is about understanding the technical problem and finding a solution.
Dear Indigo Software Engineers and Product Managers,
On 28th Feb 2021, I was supposed to travel by Indigo flight 6E-292(PNR: YRPHWH) at 13:40 hrs, and missed the flight, and had to pay Rs. 1800 extra and wait 7 hours for the next flight 6E-6529 at 20:45 hrs on the same day. Nothing unusual in this but one step in the whole process is not fitting in my logical analysis of it. Here are events and logical flaws in that.
- I did web check-in around 10:30 hrs and choose the auto-assigned seat.
- Your portal in my web browser suggested you will get a boarding pass by email.
- The message suggested, "Your boarding pass with the auto-assigned seat(s) will be sent via email, 12-6 hours prior to the flight departure." If web check-in is allowed till 1 hour before then either this is a low-level bug or there should not be an option of web-check-in less than 6 hours before, a critical bug.
- But in reality, I thought, I will get it before 2 hours, but when I did not get that, I downloaded the mobile app and checked the status there also it shows as in the auto-assigned seat. I thought ok maybe I get it before 1 hour when all web check-in windows closed, but I did not.
- Due to some personal reason, I started late from home but keep checking the status in and boarding pass in email, there was no update, it was just showing select/modify seat(s) but as there was no free seat, I did not. (In retrospect, I should have done that by paying extra money but as I used to get the boarding pass in auto-assigned mode earlier, so I ignored it).
- At 12:40 Hrs(1 hour before departure) the link was not working and I did not have any boarding pass. I thought it must be some failure on the email system to send an email, but there was no assigned seat in the mobile app either.
- I reached 13:05 Hrs at the airport and asked the counter staff to give me the boarding pass, as I did not get it through email. They said time is over and the counter is closed, you won't get the boarding pass, that was perfect reply according to rule. When I said I already web-checked-in, they said you did not web check-in, there is no such request at our server.
I accept it was my mistake to reach late, but one thing is not clear to me if I web checked-in then where is my boarding pass for that flight? Either no web check-in or boarding pass, a counter is nowhere in the picture, right? Airlines or Aiport may be within their rights to deny my entry/boarding but still, I deserve a boarding pass on the ground of web check-in within a time limit, right? or do I suppose to collect the boarding pass of web check-in from the counter? If it were the case where is such message/status, if I knew, I should have started earlier.
Here are some possible scenarios that I am trying to connect to the events.
- My request did not reach the server, this is not possible, as I checked in from the browser and the status was showing "auto-assigned" seat in the mobile app, the same API calls from two different apps so it must be on the server. I get an auto-assigned seat on my next flight based on the same web check-in of course 6 hours before the flight, so the web check-in request reached the server. That can be clearly seen in the history log or database history.
- My request reached to server.
- If such a request is 3 hours before and I suppose to collect the boarding pass from the counter(leave aside the meaning of web check-in), then the status should not be "auto-assigned", it should be "Collect boarding pass from the counter". Depending on how you treat bug levels can be low, high.
- The script that auto-assigned seat, did not run or failed to pick up my database entry, then bug in scheduler or load issue, certainly a critical issue. It also may not be supposed to run, then it should not be auto-assigned.
There are many such possible cases for not generating it automatically.
I know, all these must be there in some terms and conditions that may states airlines are within their rights to not generate boarding passes.
But seeing it as a software system issue, there is some bug somewhere, that may be low level. Having a bug in any software system is a very usual thing, so if the team is willing to fix it, if possible I can help.
One simple and last question to product managers, why not generate a boarding pass instantly if somebody doing web check-in in the last 6 hours? Even those who chose auto-assigned seats deserve a free seat right? otherwise, it should not be called free web check-in. There are many bugs, features that desire some work but that for some another day.
I am pretty much sure if you see the whole thing there are some links, processes missing in this and that needs to analyze and fix.
Thank you.
Regards,
Not a frequent flyer
Sir, I don't think it's a bug. I have been facing this issue now. I feel like they are doing it intentionally. With this if we don't reach the counter in time, we lose the right for a refund or a reschedule.
Manish Kumar one more Issue i found in Indigo. https://www.garudax.id/posts/baudhik-dudhatra_aviation-bugfix-airlines-activity-6969788686964015104-nF7x?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
I had similar issue but it did web check-in for me even though when I do check on website or in app, it shows otherwise. And I can't see boarding pass and checked-in luggage tags as those actions on the page were simply not working. I even tried in mobile and laptop and different browsers even but same issue. Though it was slightly inconvenient, I managed to show them on mobile just in time with lots of drag back and forth in around 4 mins at gate( Thanks to people in the queue as they didn't loose their cool!) and got entry into airport!