The uncertainty surrounding IndiGo flights has pushed hundreds of stranded passengers into an unplanned scramble for accommodation near the city airport, sending hotel demand soaring. Many travellers, suddenly left without flights, told Metro they were forced to arrange overnight or multi-day stays.
Over the past two days, occupancy rates at hotels around the airport corridor have surged by more than 20%, hoteliers said. Several flights bound for Calcutta were also grounded, leading to cancellations as well.
Some fliers complained that a few hotels and guest houses hiked rates. However, many hotel operators said they were trying to remain compassionate and maintain regular tariffs.
Among those caught in the chaos was Virat Barma, who flew from Bengaluru with his wife for a friend’s wedding. Their return flight was scheduled for 5pm on Friday, only to be cancelled around 4pm.
“Two tickets to Bengaluru on Saturday would have cost us more than ₹1,00,000. Even Sunday tickets were nearly ₹50,000. We decided to stay back for two nights,” Barma said. The couple checked into a hotel on VIP Road in Baguiati.
At Holiday Inn Express, about 1km from the airport, occupancy has jumped from the usual 70-75% to nearly full. “Demand is very high. Not just passengers, even airline crews are staying with us,” said general manager Raman Sharma. “We have not increased our rates... it remains between ₹6,000 and ₹8,000.”
A homemaker from Agartala, scheduled to fly back on a 1.30pm flight on Friday, saw the cancellation notice flash on the board an hour before departure. “I have been hunting for a room, but the prices are very high,” she said.
K. Mohanchandran, senior vice-president (operations) at IHCL, which runs the Taj City Centre New Town, said the crisis had triggered both walk-ins and cancellations.
“Bookings from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi are being cancelled,” he said. IHCL, he added, is allowing guests to reschedule stays till March 31 at the same rates.
Suborno Bose, founder-chairman of the Indismart Group and president of the Bengal Association of Hotels and Restaurants, said occupancy near the airport had risen 20-25%.
“For stranded passengers, it’s a double blow. They are paying out of pocket. IndiGo should have handled this better,” he said.
Bose himself was affected. His 11.20pm flight to Jaipur on Friday was cancelled. “The airport was chaotic... For seniors and those on wheelchairs, it was traumatic,” he said.
IndiGo, in a statement, said it had arranged “thousands of hotel rooms across cities” for affected passengers.