Is IndiGo’s Customer Service In Freefall? From Flight Chaos To Shocking ₹6000 Bribe
Passenger accuses IndiGo of poor communication, bribery, and mismanagement, sparking debates over customer rights in India's aviation sector.

IndiGo, India’s largest low-cost airline, finds itself in a soup after a flier accused the airline of taking bribes and ill-treating him. Alleging that his flight was mismanaged, Prakhar Gupta, an irate passenger, went on social media to question the airline for trying to bribe him to hush the matter down. The incident has once again brought the subject of passenger rights, airline accountability, and the general state of customer service in India’s aviation sector to the limelight.
The Incident: Flight Rescheduling Woes
Prakhar Gupta’s ordeal began when he was notified—via a single text message—that his flight scheduled for 6:45 AM had been rescheduled to 6:30 AM. The text reportedly arrived at 4:00 AM, leaving Gupta little time to adjust his plans. In a detailed post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Gupta expressed his frustration:
“Dear @IndiGo6E,
How do you change a flight time and PREPONE it 2.5 hours before the flight at 4 AM, expect me to make it on time, and then when I do get there 5 minutes behind on the NEW TIME, you do not let me check in my bag and make me pay for a new flight? I received no email and one paltry text at 4 AM this morning that my flight had been preponed from 6:45 to 6:30, and you closed your check-in counters according to 6:30.

As quick as hours in posting, his message started going viral and thereby attracted wide recognition and criticism concerning IndiGo’s customer service practices and the several views from other customers on the application.
The Alleged Bribe
Gupta did not stop there, criticizing the airline for failing to communicate appropriately. He added that IndiGo offered ₹6000 to take down his post. In the social media update, Gupta says:
“I got no email and a measly text at 4 AM that my flight was postponed. When I highlighted this issue, IndiGo tried to offer me ₹6000 as compensation to remove my post. IndiGo issued no apology,” he alleged.
The claim of bribery has sparked outrage among passengers and consumer rights activists alike. These claims are crucial in how corporate America responds to a PR disaster and whether it focuses more on repairing the damage than knowing why customers are mad.
Public Reaction and Backlash
Such criticism has already been flung against IndiGo, which boasts about its on-time performances and low fares. The most recent tussle just added fuel to the fire. Social media sites were flooded with comments from passengers sharing their experiences of rescheduled flights, lousy communication, and poor customer service.
“This is exactly why I stopped flying IndiGo. They treat customers as if they’re doing us a favour,” one user wrote. “Why does IndiGo think that ₹6000 bribe is a reasonable answer? Fix your communication system instead.” another user complained.

Another reason Gupta’s post ignited debates were that the topic was airlines sending last-minute messages, and many people found that this should have some legal bind so that passenger rights could be better safeguarded.
IndiGo Response
As of this writing, IndiGo has not issued an official statement on these allegations. Ironically, the same airline is being held accountable for not standing up and claiming responsibility by increasing criticism. This is a much bigger issue in the aviation industry, as there are very few cases of resolving customers’ problems or compensating token money without practical solutions.
A Pattern of Complaints
This is not the first time IndiGo has been criticized for its customer service. Over the years, it has been charged for different issues, such as:
- Overbooking: Frequently, passengers are denied boarding since the staff overbooked the flight without proper alternations and compensations.
- Lack of Transparency: The customers have faced hidden fees and unclear refund policies, leading to frustration and loss of money.
- Delayed or Cancelled Flights: Flight delays and cancellations are often the case, yet passengers have always complained about adequate updates and little help.
Such failures reveal systemic defects in the operational and service design of the airways.
The Urgent Need for Better Regulation
Incidents such as Gupta demand greater regulatory oversight of the aviation industry. Though DGCA has prepared some passenger rights guidelines, these remain unevenly applied. The airlines avail loopholes or pay compensation in a cosmetic exercise, pending the fury of the already desperate customers.
Experts have even suggested some ways to address this issue:
- The schedule change notification should be provided to the passenger well in advance through multiple modes, such as email, text messages, and calls.
- Transparent refund and rebooking policy should be communicated to passengers when booking.
- There should be consequences for the lapse in customer service. Airlines must face penalties, and they must also have to report all the complaints.
- There needs to be an array of stronger consumer protection laws with amendments to strengthen the existing laws against concerns like last-minute rescheduling and scarce compensation arising within the aviation industry.
Conclusion
This is a wake-up call not only for IndiGo but also for the more significant aviation industry: Competition has been sharpened, and the expectation of passenger delight is growing, and at the bottom line will be passenger satisfaction and more transparency. For a passenger like Prakhar Gupta, it was not a case of a missed flight but how he felt being listened to and understood as a customer.
IndiGo’s future actions would help determine its credibility and reputation. It would take huge improvements and an outward apology to the public to regain goodwill. Still, otherwise, people would continue thinking about such instances and being told to be careful when travelling in the often-troubled skies of air travel.