How Pahalgam attack may knock the wind out of Kashmir air travel
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Time of India
7 hours ago
- Time of India
103% rise in booking e-tickets in Khurda Road rly division in 1st quarter: Data
Bhubaneswar: Use of paperless general and platform tickets through the unreserved ticketing system (UTS) on the mobile platform has seen a 103% rise in the first quarter of 2025-26 compared to the similar period in 2024-25, according to latest data released by the Khurda Road railway division. The railway division oversees major stations like Bhubaneswar, Puri, Cuttack, Khurda and Berhampur. From April to June, the division issued 1.83 lakh paperless general and platform tickets, compared to 90,005 tickets issued in the first quarter of 2024-25. "Because of the rise in booking paperless tickets, stations are now witnessing a reduction in queues for unreserved tickets at booking counters," said an official. During 2024-25, the division issued 5.35 lakh paperless general and platform tickets through the UTS on mobile, serving over 22.41 lakh passengers and generating a revenue of Rs 4.76 crore. In 2023-24, it issued 2.56 lakh tickets for 14.81 lakh passengers, generating Rs 2.82 crore in revenue. In 2022-23, around 1.27 lakh tickets were issued for 8.95 lakh passengers, generating Rs 1.53 crore. "This year-on-year growth shows that people want hassle-free services without standing in queues for platform or general tickets. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Use an AI Writing Tool That Actually Understands Your Voice Grammarly Install Now Undo This exponential growth is attributed to wider public acceptance, user-friendly technology and enhanced payment options such as UPI-based QR code transactions, leading to shorter queues and faster processing," read an official statement. The statement said passengers can now book journey, season and platform tickets directly from their smartphones, leveraging the UTS on mobile platform, eliminating the need for ticket printouts. "The app is available in Hindi, English, and regional languages, ensuring ease of use even for first-time users. Tickets are delivered directly to the app and can be shown to ticket-checking staff using the 'show ticket' option — no hard copy needed," an official source said. An official said passengers can now book unreserved tickets up to three days in advance for journeys above 200km and purchase half-yearly and yearly season tickets, apart from platform tickets, with ease. "The app supports multiple digital payment methods and is compatible with Android, iOS and Windows smartphones," the official added. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Time of India
Spiritual retreat turns sour: Family wins Rs 1 lakh payout over travel nightmare
Hyderabad: What was intended to be a spiritual retreat turned into a travel nightmare for a Hyderabad family after a tour operator failed to deliver on its promises. Following a series of service failures and last-minute changes, the district consumer commission in Ranga Reddy ordered a Delhi-based travel agency to pay 1.04 lakh in compensation for mental agony, out-of-pocket expenses, and litigation costs. The complainant, Aakula Venu Gopal, had booked a 10-night Char Dham Yatra tour package with the travel agency in April 2024, paying 90,000 in advance. However, just days before the journey, the agency abruptly cancelled the trip, citing a lack of hotel availability, and pressured him into accepting a Kashmir package instead. With no other viable option and fearing a substantial financial loss, Gopal reluctantly agreed. The ordeal worsened when Gopal, along with his elderly mother and young daughter, arrived in Delhi and travelled overnight to Katra. The hotel listed in their itinerary had no booking under their name. Stranded at 2am without mobile connectivity in Jammu & Kashmir, the family eventually managed to find alternative accommodation by 6am, well outside the promised package plan. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad Throughout the trip, the family encountered repeated instances of unbooked hotels, uncooperative agents, demands for additional money from the driver, and a lack of basic amenities, including meals, despite the package claiming to provide a MAP (Modified American Plan) arrangement. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Ranked: The 25 Best Cities To Live In The World Learn More Undo Due to delays and poor coordination, Gopal's mother and daughter were unable to undertake the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage, despite having travelled all that way for it. Later in Srinagar, a promised houseboat stay was once again cancelled without prior notice, forcing the family to arrange accommodation at their own expense. Upon returning, Gopal approached the commission seeking a refund of 44,219 spent on food, alternative hotel bookings, and transport, along with 1 lakh as compensation. In its final order, the commission concluded that the agency had engaged in unfair trade practices. "Throughout the tour, the family faced considerable distress due to the negligent and unprofessional service of the agency. We are of the considered opinion that the agency committed a deficiency in service and caused great hardship during what was meant to be a leisure trip," the commission said. The commission directed the company to pay 44,219 towards incurred expenses, 50,000 for mental agony, and 10,000 as litigation costs within 45 days. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Time of India
Aviation market: India is ‘interesting' and key to growth, says Malaysia Airlines; aims to be core service link without domestic JV
Malaysia Airlines Berhad sees India as an 'interesting' and high-potential market and wants to be accepted as one of the country's core service providers connecting it to the rest of the world, Group Managing Director of Malaysia Aviation Group Berhad, Izham bin Ismail has said. The Southeast Asian premium carrier, headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, operates 77 flights per week across 10 Indian destinations and counts India as its top revenue generator, ahead of Australia and the UK. It carried 1.3 million inbound and outbound passengers in the first half of 2025, contributing about 11 per cent to its revenue and 20 per cent of its passenger volumes. 'I see the urbanisation rate of India at 40 per cent, with middle-class income earners rising, comfortable disposable incomes, a GDP of 6.5 per cent, 1.4 billion people and nearly 100 airports. India is a really interesting market,' Ismail told PTI. 'We wish to capitalise on the rapid economic growth of India, but we are not an India-based airline. We wish that India accepts us as one of the core service providers that connects India to the rest of the world. ' He indicated that Malaysia Airlines intends to remain a foreign airline in the Indian market rather than forming a joint venture or becoming an Indian carrier. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Learn More - How Donating Sperm May Boost Your Income SpellRock Undo 'Why should I go to somebody's home and create havoc? I would rather visit from time to time and be friends than try to build a house in your compound. While some companies expand that way, we believe in deep partnerships,' he said. Stating that his airline is not evaluating any new destinations this year in India, he said there might be some in 2026, adding that "predominantly our target 2026-2027 onwards is seats capacity. " "We are watching the marketplaces like Jaipur and all that. The team is evaluating. So the strategy now is increasing frequency. A lot of airlines have products in food, cabin, in-flight entertainment and many others, but the other product that we must really not forget is frequency and connectivity," he said. Malaysia Airlines, which collaborates with codeshare partners including IndiGo, operates across 900 destinations in 170 territories worldwide. IndiGo remains its strongest partner in India, though the carrier also works with Air India. Ismail said Malaysia Airlines is strong in connecting India with Australia and New Zealand and offers a hub through Kuala Lumpur to China, which currently lacks direct air connectivity with India. The carrier plans to increase flights to 80 per week from December 1. Its focus for 2026–2027 will be on seat capacity growth rather than adding new Indian destinations this year, though markets like Jaipur are under evaluation. 'The strategy now is increasing frequency. A lot of airlines have products in food, cabin and in-flight entertainment, but we must not forget frequency and connectivity,' he said, quoted PTI. Ismail also stressed that Malaysia Airlines balances fleet expansion with customer experience investment. 'We have invested a lot in food, cabin services and ordering new planes. You don't splash money to buy aeroplanes — you invest where it matters most, which is our customer,' he said. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays , public holidays , current gold rate and silver price .
