Survey Exposes Outrageous Airline Practices, from Drip Pricing to Basket Sneaking

In a recent LocalCircles survey, a startling 72% of Indians said they frequently experienced airfare increases during multiple searches in a single session.

13,988 people participated in the survey, and the results showed that a substantial portion of consumers think airlines manipulate fares by using dynamic pricing schemes. Although airlines use demand and operating costs to justify fare fluctuations, the data indicates a more alarming trend. Customers have reported cases where airfares went up when they searched more than once on the same device but went back down when they accessed the site using a different browser or device. This raises the question of whether customers are being treated unfairly and how transparent airline pricing is.

According to the survey, at least 62% reported that they have often encountered hidden fees when booking a flight that are only disclosed at the time of payment. When booking their own flights, most customers would have discovered that there are often hidden fees that are not disclosed upfront, which can result in a significant difference between the price they initially paid and the price they ended up paying. When looking for flights and airfares, many customers prefer that airlines show the total amount to be paid upfront rather than at the very end of the payment process. With drip pricing, airlines advertise a low base fare upfront but tack on extra fees and charges as the customer proceeds through the booking process. This strategy has the potential to greatly inflate the ticket's actual cost in comparison to its advertised price.

Due to increased passenger traffic and capacity restrictions, domestic airfares, which had already increased significantly over the previous six quarters by up to 40% on important routes, are reportedly even higher as of early this month. Airline fares have begun to rise as India celebrates its holiday season, which starts with Raksha Bandhan and continues with Ganesh Chaturthi, Onam, Durga Puja, Dussehra, Diwali, and Christmas/New Year. Feedback on LocalCircles and other social media platforms indicates that Diwali travel bookings are actually experiencing an unexpected spike right now as travellers are considering their options.

Drip Pricing, Confirm Shaming, and Basket Sneaking are examples of dark patterns on the SpiceJet platform. The IndiGo portal/app has received reports of the highest number of dark patterns, which include Drip Pricing, Interface Interference, Basket Sneaking, and Confirm Shaming. It should be mentioned that Indigo is the biggest airline, holding a nearly 65% market share. As a result, there is a higher chance that customers will use the airline and encounter a dark pattern at least once.

Over 10,000 complaints concerning misleading online practices by airlines were submitted to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs through the National Consumers Helpline in the previous year. These grievances imply that airlines and internet travel agencies use several deceptive strategies, or "dark patterns," to deceive consumers. Consumers complaining about airlines frequently mention dark patterns such as Forced Action, Drip Pricing, False Urgency, and Basket Sneaking on LocalCircles.