 "Now, reschedule your flights online")
In a first, online travel company Cleartrip has introduced a feature that enables a traveller to reschedule a flight on his own. None of the other online travel companies offers this facility yet. For any changes in the itinerary, customers have to reach out to call centres and get the changes done over a phone call.
For Cleartrip, over 30% of the calls that it receives in its call centres are about rescheduling a journey, which is roughly around 200-300 calls a day. Cleartrip, which developed the feature over the past four months, says that it did so completely on the basis of customer feedback. “We noticed each call took a lot of time. By the time all options were presented to the traveller, there were many instances where he would just cancel the whole booking and decide to make a new one on his own later instead. It was a lot of hassle,” said Hrush Bhatt, cofounder and director – product and strategy, Cleartrip.
The travel company is currently providing this offer only on domestic flights. In order to use the feature, the customer has to have an online account with Cleartrip. In fact, if one makes a change in flight online, he does not have to pay the amendment fee of Rs 300 to the travel company.
Cleartrip thinks otherwise. “It will induce huge cost savings. Call centres will be able to cater to other callers. Our focus is first on customer and then on everyone else,” Bhatt said.
Cleartrip feels that that it will ease things for consumers who can easily select the new itinerary based on price differential for any date. Travellers will only have to pay an amendment fee of Rs 1,000 to the airline.
Currently the changes in flight bookings can also be made on the airline’s website, but the user would not be able to switch the airline. “Here we are giving you all airline options, so that you are not stuck with one,” Bhatt added.
For Cleartrip, over 30% of the calls that it receives in its call centres are about rescheduling a journey, which is roughly around 200-300 calls a day. Cleartrip, which developed the feature over the past four months, says that it did so completely on the basis of customer feedback. “We noticed each call took a lot of time. By the time all options were presented to the traveller, there were many instances where he would just cancel the whole booking and decide to make a new one on his own later instead. It was a lot of hassle,” said Hrush Bhatt, cofounder and director – product and strategy, Cleartrip.
The travel company is currently providing this offer only on domestic flights. In order to use the feature, the customer has to have an online account with Cleartrip. In fact, if one makes a change in flight online, he does not have to pay the amendment fee of Rs 300 to the travel company.
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Will others follow suit? No one is saying no. But most companies like MakeMyTrip and Yatra.com have not done this so far. “It is a complicated process and people are more comfortable doing it on phone. Several tickets are not refundable, while some are. It is easy to call up an agent and get it done,” said Sharat Dhall, President, Yatra.com.
Cleartrip thinks otherwise. “It will induce huge cost savings. Call centres will be able to cater to other callers. Our focus is first on customer and then on everyone else,” Bhatt said.
Cleartrip feels that that it will ease things for consumers who can easily select the new itinerary based on price differential for any date. Travellers will only have to pay an amendment fee of Rs 1,000 to the airline.
Currently the changes in flight bookings can also be made on the airline’s website, but the user would not be able to switch the airline. “Here we are giving you all airline options, so that you are not stuck with one,” Bhatt added.