For commuters whose train tickets are not confirmed, IRCTC lets you fly

MUMBAI, INDIA: There’s great news for passengers whose train tickets are still in the waiting list.

IRCTC now gives you an opportunity to fly. It has tied-up with Air India, and the two will offer discounted rates to the commuters who want to transfer their mode from train commute and fly.

The booking process is simple.

If you booked the train tickets three days before the date of journey, and your name is not on the confirmed list of passengers, you are eligible for last minute flight offer.

Once you apply for the change in mode of commute, you will receive a confirmation mail from IRCTC.

Post that, you should login to the www.air.irctc.co.in website. It will take you to the http://www.air.irctc.co.in/distress.html home page.

Fill in the relevant details (which you fill-in while making reservations from any travel website). Post this you have to click on the search flight option, which gives a bird’s eye view of the flights, the rates and the scheduled departure and arrival timings.

Depending on the seat availability, you will get an immediate message, post which you have to book the ticket/s and make full payment.

In short, choose your flight, enter passenger details, and pay.

Similar to rail bookings, payment gateway charges are to be borne by the customer. The only glitch, once you have reached a particular step, there is no going back. If you want to change the flight once on the traveler details page, or add a passenger if you are on the payment step, you have to start all over again.

This is not the first time that IRCTC has tied-up with an airline. It must be recalled that the railway body has signed up with Spice in 2012, and was booking tickets for air travelers through its website.