I am Srinivasan. Booking ID NL2131003014864. 6N-7D package to Kashmir.
It surprises me, but the most nightmarish experience that I have ever had was by one of the leading travel planner Make My Trip. When going is good, these travel agencies will look good, but the true character shows up when the going get tough and how your travel provider communicates and deals with you.
I traveled to Kashmir with my 7-year-old daughter and wife, and Here are the situations that I was put through and how MMT treated me:
1. Onward Travel - Nightmare 1
Sunday morning was my start date. On Friday late evening MMT tells me that I need to travel on Saturday evening itself as the Sunday flight got cancelled, and stay overnight without sleep with a kid in Mumbai Airport and take early morning flight to Srinagar, and be stranded till 2 PM hotel check-in. Would have been the worst way to start a 7day trip, with a sleepless night.
Fake - I called up the airlines and they said the flight is very much on schedule, but since mine was a group booking I had to contact MMT.
Positives - After fighting over calls for an entire day, MMT agreed to reimburse my overnight stay in lounge.
2. Onward Travel - Nightmare 2
Saturday 9:50 PM was the rescheduled flight. But I kept calling them from morning 6 am, but the personal travel assistant (BHANU SACHDEVA - +91-844849XXXX) simply would not pick up. I left so many what's app messages, she will not respond. But I kept getting an email from her boss (MAYANK) asking me to be patient. But they cannot pick my call to say even once.
Things get absolutely crazy now. (BHANU SACHDEVA - +91-844849XXXX) calls me at 6:45 PM to tell me that my flight is at 9:50 PM as communicated earlier. I spring out of my seat, book a cab to catch a flight with less than 3 hrs. I board the cab, BHANU SACHDEVA's - (+91-844849xxxx) boss MAYANK calls me to tell my flight is only at 5:30AM on Sunday.
So extremely dramatic day with absolutely ZERO communication and only lies from MMT.
Scenario 2 proves my call earlier that they were faking it when they said my flight is cancelled.
3. Arrival at Srinagar:
My package included a tour manager assistant. It was SANTOSH (+91-909696xxxx). I hope one can understand the apprehensions and fear of someone who is going to Kashmir for the first time. I was told that I need to wait for this gentleman SANTHOSH (+91-909696xxxx) who will introduce me to the driver. I kept calling this guy, his number was constantly busy, and finally, after 45 mins he picks up and asks me (note, he did not know, he asked me) when are you supposed to come. And tells me he cannot come as he is stuck in traffic jam which he could have told if he had any plans to come. He gave me the driver's number, whom I located and boarded the cab. By the way, I never saw my tour assistant, or received by call from him asking me how things were, but I still paid for a tour assistant, I don't know for what joy.
4. Cab issue
I was promised and was charged for an AC Sedan. In all the confusion in not being able to contact my travel assistant SANTHOSH (+91-909696xxxx), I did not pay attention that I got a Tavera and not an AC Sedan.
Fast forward a couple of days, my travel from Gulmarg to Pahalgam was extremely hot and then I realised I was supposed to have an AC Sedan and not a Tavera. You may wonder what's the issue I got a bigger car - no Tavera is generally used in Kashmir by the travel union folks who takes you till the last mile. For example, in winters the superior vehicle you pay for will take you only till Tangmarg, from there you have to hire a local cab (Tavera, Sumo, etc.) to go to Gulmarg. Similarly, you have to hire a local cab in Pahalgam also. Having paid a bomb, I did my entire travel in a Tavera and hired those local cabs also which again were Taveras. The travel assistant Anil in Pahalgam told me once that the local cab which they will provide (as it was part of my package) will be a Tavera or Sumo which will not be upto MMT standards, and that when i realised her where is my Sedan. So I did my entire trip in Kashmir in a vehicle that was not as per MMT standards, but they still charged me for a superior vehicle. From the time I raised this concern, they kept telling something to my driver that he kept asking me what was the problem - I personally did not have any problem with the cab driver, in fact, he was a gem of a person we thoroughly enjoyed, but only concern here is why was I not given what I paid for, and why didn't MMT know which can I was on.
MMT has no clue on how your travel is happening on ground. Which I believe is your travel assistant's job whom you would hardly meet.
When I called BHANU SACHDEVA - +91-844849xxxx - she as usual ignored my call and sent me a WhatsApp note asking me to contact SANTHOSH (+91-909696xxxx), who is her bigger brother (pun intended) in hospitality.
5. Return Flight -
Here is the biggest mess up. By the way, I am writing this review as I am sitting in my flight back, with utmost frustration.
In the itinerary that MMT gave me, my return flight was at 5:45 PM on Saturday. I kept calling SANTHOSH (+91-909696xxxx) and BHANU SACHDEVA (+91-844849XXXX) telling them my web check-in is not happening. They kept telling me they are checking, give me 10 mins, 15 mins, for one whole day. BHANU SACHDEVA - (+91-844849xxxx) messages me 3 hrs before travel stating she has sorted it out and asked me to go without web check-in. I presented my ticket to get boarding pass and the agent tells me my PNR is wrong. The Time is 4:10 pm, now in parallel, I receive an attachment from BHANU SACHDEVA (+91-844849xxxx) stating my flight is at 4:30 PM, and the earlier printout given was wrong. The agent in the airport tells me it's too late, the boarding is closed.
One should keep in mind the kind of security that is in place in Srinagar airport, it is impossible to skip anything. My daughter was running temperature the previous night, so I literally begged as there was no guarantee of another flight and I could not imagine a night on transit with feeble health conditions after travel fatigue.
Points to note - Both the hospitality siblings BHANU SACHDEVA's - (+91-844849xxxx) and SANTHOSH (+91-909696xxxx) just would not do anything. Hearing me shout SANTHOSH (+91-909696xxxx) stopped hanging my calls. No prizes for guessing BHANU SACHDEVA's - (+91-844849xxxx) would still not pick my call.
NEVER EVER AGAIN ON M(F)AKE MY TRIP. I am sure many must have had great experience with MMT, but as I said earlier, I would judge based on how one behaves during crisis than when things go well. The fact is MMT has no clue how travel happens on ground, they are busy minting from new customers after they make the sale.
But on a positive note I would like to call out Nitu Kathpalia from sales team who not only made us feel comfortable during the sales process when we were very skeptical about this trip, but also supported through out the trip. If not for her, we would have had any of our issues sorted. The way she explained and understood our concerns throughout is unmatched. Seems like sales team is the only reason why MMT is still in business. The relationship team is filled with uncourteous people who simply are unfit to be in the hospitality business.
Beware if these folks are your travel assistants.
BHANU SACHDEVA's - (+91-844849xxxx)
SANTHOSH (+91-909696xxxx)
