6 out of 10 travellers complain of paying more as airlines resort to deceptive online practices

Dark paterns on airlines

The pervasive issue of deceptive online practices in the aviation industry has come under heightened scrutiny with over six out of every 10 Indian travellers complaining of dark patterns like drip pricing, false urgency and forced action on airline apps or websites, according to a study done by LocalCircles.

A total of 72 percent consumers said they have frequently experienced airfares being raised if they search for it multiple times in a session. The survey pointed out how airfares rise in some cases even as consumers are scrolling through an airline website or app or while booking the tickets.

However, if a different incognito browser or device is used to access the website or app, the original lower fare is displayed. Some consumers cited in community discussions on LocalCircles that they believe some airlines at times are gauging the probability or likelihood of the consumer booking and basis that showing a higher fare to them.

The survey by LocalCircles between May and August received more than half-a-lakh responses from 322 districts in the country. More than 80 percent consumers said they have felt that airline apps and travel websites create a false sense of urgency to get them to book faster.

This includes notifying that ‘only one or two seats are available at this price’, often pushing consumers to make hasty decisions which they may end up regretting later, if travel plans change and they are confirmed seats that cannot be refunded or rescheduled or cancelled. Around 62 percent of respondents said they had experienced it ‘very frequently’, while 19 percent stated experiencing it ‘sometimes’.

Basket sneaking is another irritant, where websites sneak unwanted offers or a service (like insurance, meal, seat selection or fast lane at airports) is added and unwary customers end up paying for it. Around 40 percent air travellers said they have experienced it very frequently, while 27 percent faced it sometimes.

Around 62 percent consumers said they had frequently experienced hidden charges. The price with which they were lured to do the booking turns out lower that what they finally pay up, as hidden charges - not taxes - come into play. These are not presented upfront, but only later, when you are making the payment.

Such tactics have drawn sharp criticism, with some authorities even labelling them as cybercrimes. Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh even commented that in the current online environment, there seems to be a systemic practice of fooling consumers.

Airlines where the consumers witnessed these dark patterns include IndiGo, Air India, Vistara, and Akasa Air. LocalCircles said it will be escalating the findings of this study to the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA), and the Ministry of Civil Aviation so that necessary corrective actions could be taken.

In October 2023, the Ministry of Civil Aviation asked low-cost carrier IndiGo to rectify its website. The Consumer Affairs Ministry had even called a meeting in November 2024 with representatives from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, airlines, online travel agents, and NGOs representing consumers to discuss such complaints from air travellers.