SpiceJet introduces Fly For Sure to protect you from schedule disruptions

Ever since the new management took over at SpiceJet, there have been several interesting features and products that SpiceJet has begun to offer. One could argue that many of these are in the nature of unbundling (which itself perhaps requires a separate post), but some of the products are clearly value-adds, and the latest in this stable is Fly For Sure, which protects the passenger from SpiceJet flight schedule disruptions. I can't think of another airline (at least in India or even Asia) that offers a similar product, and so to my mind, this must be quite unique. Here's how it works.

How it works

Fly For Sure enables you to fly within 24 hours, on any airline, on the same sector as your original SpiceJet flight, in the event of:

• SpiceJet flight delay of more than 90 minutes, or
• cancellation of the SpiceJet flight you were booked on, or
• missing a flight / no-show not exceeding 30 minutes from check-in closure of the flight (ie, where you're late to check-in and the flight has been closed).

In such cases, you could fly with any other airline - that's right, it isn't restricted to low-fare carriers - and claim a refund of the entire cost of that ticket, within the following limits:

• Minimum: The amount paid for the original booking on SpiceJet (excluding the cost of the Fly For Sure product); 
• Maximum: Lower of the price of the subsequently purchased ticket, of twice of the amount paid by the passenger for the subsequent* booking.
  *From the published T&Cs and exclusion of the product cost, it seems that "subsequent" here should actually be "original".

Fly For Sure is available as an add-on product when you make your booking.

Or you can add it on subsequently. In either case, it should be done at least 2 days in advance of your travel date.

Illustration

Let's take an example. Assume you've booked DEL-BOM on SpiceJet for a fare of Rs 5,000 (all in, excluding Rs 299 which is the cost of the Fly For Sure product). Say the flight is delayed by more than 90 minutes, and so you now become eligible to use the Fly For Sure product. You book an alternate flight with Jet Airways for Rs 8,000 (all in). You'll now be entitled to receive:

• Minimum: Rs 5,000 (cost of original ticket)
• Maximum: Rs 8,000 (cost of new ticket) or Rs 10,000 (2x of original ticket), whichever is lower - hence Rs 8,000.

You'll receive Rs 8,000, which means you're not out-of-pocket for the excess Rs 3,000 you spent on the new ticket. Net position, you've only paid Rs 5,000 (original ticket cost on SpiceJet) for the flight. In effect, SpiceJet will refund at least the cost of your original ticket (so that you don't end up out of pocket). However, you will end up out-of-pocket if you do book a new ticket that costs more than Rs 10,000.

So while you cannot profit from this in cash terms, you could end up getting refunded such that you've paid less for your new flight than you would have for the original flight. Look at the table below, which considers different price scenarios and what you can claim:

You'll need to submit the following documents to SpiceJet, within 7 days of completing the flight:

• Scanned copy of SpiceJet flight's itinerary, duly acknowledged by SpiceJet's ground staff (for passengers reporting late at the check-in counter);
• Scanned copy of a government-issued identity proof (Driving License/Passport/ Aadhaar Card);
• Copy of the subsequently purchased ticket;
• Boarding Pass of the subsequently purchased ticket;
• Travel Certificate (from the airline on which subsequent travel was made); and
• Bank account details (to which the amount of benefit shall be credited).

Points to note

As always, there are some key reminders:

• Fly For Sure is a separate product - almost like an insurance cost of ensuring you reach your destination - which costs Rs 299 per flight segment
• It is available only on domestic segments within India
• It can be used only if your flight is delayed by more than 90 minutes, or cancelled, or if you're late for check-in
• The replacement flight must be taken within 24 hours (but not necessarily completed) of the original flight time
• You must make a claim within 7 days of completing the replacement flight.

One of the good things is that you're allowed a choice of all other airlines to book your replacement flight on, which could also yield some mileage earning opportunities! There's also no apparent restriction on class of travel...just saying!

Conclusion

SpiceJet has been reporting some excellent on-time performance data lately, which possibly gives them the confidence to offer a product like this. On the surface, this appears to be just another add-on that you'd expect any low-fare carrier to offer. However, from my experience with fog-related delays over the last few weeks, I can think of at least 3 instances when I could have easily benefited by this product, had it been available then. 

Readers: What do you think about Fly For Sure? Is it something you're likely to use on future bookings?