IRCTC Ties-Up with Airlines to Offer Wait-listed Passengers an Alternative Mode of Transportation

IRCTC has joined hands with SpiceJet and GoAir to enable wait listed travellers to cancel the train ticket and book a flight on either airline by paying some incremental fee.

As per sources concerned with the deal, the tie-up happened over a month ago. It is also speculated that IRCTC would be tying up with other private airlines in the future.

As per the clause, this offer would be valid only for those tickets which are booked at least three days before the date of travel. In case the ticket is wait-listed, the passenger can cancel the train ticket and avail an air ticket for the original day of journey, or a day before it.

Notably, the the airlines are not specified to make a certain number of tickets available for IRCTC passengers. Hence, most probably only unbooked or last minute cancelled airline tickets would be available to train travellers, reports Firstpost.

Also, it is yet not confirmed if IRCTC is paying any royalties to these airlines or vice-versa.

Although the deal would make of a great alternative, given the present status, only two airlines have participated in it, and with no reservations for IRCTC passengers, the chances of the actual availability of tickets are slim. Nevertheless, since it is speculated that more airlines would be drawn into this deal in future, the initiative might yield scalable result in the times to come.