Cup noodles for Rs 500! Majority of fliers say they were overcharged for water, food on flights

If you are tired of paying exorbitant amounts for packaged food and bottled water on flights, you are not alone. Majority of fliers in India have the same complaint, a recent survey found. A majority of fliers surveyed said that they paid a price higher than the MRP in the market for packaged food and water. 

The survey, conducted by LocalCircles received 22,000 responses from consumers across 322 districts across the country. It said in the last 12 months it received hundreds of complaints from consumers who said they paid significantly higher prices for food and water. 

According to the survey, 59 per cent of fliers surveyed stated that airlines sold them packaged food at a higher price. When asked how many times it happened in the last 12 months, 23 per cent said ‘over 10 times’, while 13 per cent said ‘5-10 times’ and 23 per cent said ‘3-4 times’. 

However, 18 per cent said that they ‘never’ witnessed dual MRPs while travelling by air and 23 per cent said they ‘can’t say’. 

As per the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), there cannot be two MRPs, except in accordance with law. The government amended the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 to effectively ban dual MRP. 

The survey also displayed the images of two Cup Noodles packs, one which was priced at Rs 35, while another of a different flavour of Cup Noodles priced at Rs 500 onboard the flight.

Not only food, fliers have overpaid for water too. According to the survey, 72 per cent of fliers surveyed said that airlines sold bottled water with a published MRP higher than the one available in the market. When asked how many times they have to overpay for bottled water in the past 12 months, 36 per cent said ‘over 10 times’, while 14 per cent said ‘5 to 10 times’, 22 per cent said ‘3-4 times’ and 14 per cent said ‘once or twice’. 

However, 7 per cent said that this ‘never happened’ and 7 per cent gave no clear response. To sum up, 72 per cent fliers said that airlines sold bottled water with higher MRP.

According to the survey, consumers indicated that products with similar net contents but different names or slightly different brands are sold for a significantly higher MRP onboard flights. 

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