Holiday package

My recent LTC trip with Air India to NE was a mixed bag of joy and sorrow. We opted for Air-India LTC travel package since we were informed the Jet Airways was not authorized to take passengers to Nathula pass being a private operator. The total holiday package of Resplendent B package was quoted @ 57212.50 per pax. This included flight tickets, sight seeing, accommodation and airport transfers.

The total package consisted of 8 nights and 9 days covering Kolkatta, Gangtok, Darjeeling, Shillong and Gauhati. We were asked to deposit a sum of Rs 10,750 as a security deposit. I just got a mild shock, I asked the incharge, why is it so ? I was given a reply that in the event of cancellation this money will be forfeited. This triggered my antenna to be cautious. I deposited the amount with the counter, they said they will call me back after confirming hotel bookings. ( I was laughing internally in an off season they are bidding time for hotel booking ) Next day a lady called and said congratulation sir, we have all your bookings confirmed. I said hold on dear let me check the hotel reviews. Suddenly I found hotel in Kolkatta, Shillong and Gauhati not upto the mark. I requested for a change. In fact I called up directly and confirmed with hotels regarding the availability of the rooms. So reluctantly I was offered hotels of my choice in Kolkatta ( De Empressa ) and Shillong ( Tripura Castle ). Gauhati they skipped. I too let it go since it was last leg of my tour ( Rudali Residency).

I was very badly let down by the tour operator East wind holidays in skipping Nathula pass. Even in Kolkatta there was no sight seeing arranged, we had to pay from our pocket to find most of the tourist places close on monday. No guidance at all. . I had to literally blow my fuse to get enroute sightseeing visit to Kalimpong. Rumtek monastery enroute to Gangtok was skipped. All the feed back regarding the mess up by the tour operator was registered in writing, less said the better. Two days buffet breakfast was skipped at Darjeeling ( Krishna Residency ) and Gauhati ( Rudali residency ) It is better to reconfirm regarding buffet breakfast offered by the hotels. Most of them offer only limited breakfast as a courtsey unless one insists.


On the last day of the tour we were to board the IC flight from Gauhati to Kolkatta, but flights were re-scheduled and tour operator did not bother to even inform us, regarding 3 days of cancellation. We would have used that time for sight seeing in Gauhati at our cost obviously. The best part of the trip was due to the cancellation we got to stay in a 4 star hotel Peerless inn @ kolkatta, which offered us buffet dinner and breakfast. The food in the flight was not upto the mark. It is better to parcel alu parothas or any favourite dish of one’s choice and request them to keep the change. It is better to ensure you seat booking in the front rather than on the wheel portion of the aircraft.

The average costing per day excluding flight fare for two pax works out to Rs 7825 per day for 9 days. ( My best estimate costing will not be more than Rs 3000 incl. sight seeing and breakfast) We had to additionally shell out 14 k for food, shopping tickets and extra travel. I informed Air India with this budget you all can make a huge profit why do you want to engage a private agency for hotel and taxi service. They will end up swiping off all the profits. As it is Air India has entered into the best tie up with hotels and taxi service why depend on private service ? What is your opinion friends on the Air Indiapackage ?

Hint & Clue : Feedback response is a shocker pl guess ?

UPDATE : Air India revises the package cost by almost 22,000 - The claim now that For Lowest LTC fares choose AIR INDIA, what a paradox. Today the package cost is quoted at 79 k plus

The moral of the story is obviously to check out the hotels offered and the sightseeing timings, which will give a clue, on the professional approach of the agency concerned. If the sightseeing points are planned from morning 7 to evening 7 pm it would be an ideal package. This will concide with ideal photographic timing.