Beware of Jawala Travels (NY)

[Guest guest]

Beware of Jawala Travels & Tours, Inc.

(New York City Travel Agent)

 

 

I am posting this story of bad connections as a warning for other Vaisnavas

making travel plans to Mother India.

 

I purchased a round trip ticket from Rekha Mudgil at Jawala Travels & Tours,

Inc. from Los Angeles to New Delhi leaving December 24th, 2003 and returning

March 13th, 2004.

 

The airlines involved were China Airlines and Air India from Los Angeles to

New Delhi and Indian Airlines and China Airlines returning from New Delhi to

Los Angeles.

 

Upon my arrival in Hong Kong on December 26th, China Airlines

representatives informed me that I was not on the Air India list of

passengers to New Delhi.

 

After several hours of waiting for the Air India reps. to arrive at their

desk, I was informed that stand-by was past full and that this would be the

situation for several days. They suggested that my travel agent had not

properly confirmed the existence of available seats on the flight before

issuing a ticket to me.

 

After several hours of deliberation, an E-mail to my travel agent and

further inquiries from China Airlines (who also suggested that my travel

agent was at fault), I had to purchase a ticket on Cathay Pacific Airlines

for over $600 to complete my trip to India. Also, considering the heightened

security, I was afraid to leave the airport to find a hotel or temple, since

only those with confirmed seats could reenter the airport. Luckily, China

Airlines issued me a temporary permit so that I could enter the main tourist

area to eat.

 

After sleeping on the floor of the Hong Kong airport for a few hours, I

called Rekha Mudgil to inform her of my situation. Her response was to scold

me for having purchased another ticket and that I should stay in Hong Kong

to fight it out with Air India. Rekha Mudgil made no gesture of trying to

rectify the situation from her end nor to check on the validity of the other

reservations that she had made for me.

 

Upon arrival in New Delhi a day late, I inquired from the small Air India

office about my reservations. They directed me to the main office, which I

visited on the following day. There Air India reps informed me that I was

never in their system and that my travel agent must be at fault. I also

inquired from China Airlines reps in New Delhi who printed out a full

history of their correspondence with Jawala Travels (I never even received

an itinerary from Jawala Travels.) China Airlines pointed out several

discrepancies in the hard copy print out, suggesting that Jawala Airlines

had not properly confirmed all of the seats involved in my round trip

ticket. Not being a travel agent, I of course did not know how to respond.

No one -Jawala Travels, Air India nor China Airlines - was accepting any

blame.

 

Upon checking my E-mail for several days, I found that Jawala Travels had

made no attempt to contact me. At that point, I lodged a complaint with Air

India.

 

In January, I called Rekha Mudgil and she suggested that I send all the

information to her via E-mail. After a month or so, no response.

 

In the later part of January, I received a response from Air India who was

apologetic and requested that I send the information to them via E-mail.

 

Upon arriving back in America in the middle of March, I telephoned Rekha

Mudgil. It was impossible to even discuss my situation with here on the

phone because she repeatedly interrupted me to place the blame upon me. At

one point, out of nowhere, she informed me that Air India had at least made

proper sleeping accommodations for me at the Hong Kong airport. (I'm not

sure where she got this idea). When I told her that she had forgotten my

phone call to her from the airport relating that I had to sleep in the

airport to await my morning flight, she hung up on me. She has not since

E-mailed or called to apologize or rectify the situation.

 

These are the facts. Copies of my tickets (China Airlines and Cathay

Pacific) and a full itinerary issued by China Airlines are also available. I

have spent way too much of my devotional time trying to deal with the inept

and devious behavior of Jawala Travels and don't have the patience or money

to hire a lawyer to fight it. At least I can warn other Vaisnavas to be

aware of this travel agent.

 

For the future I have learned that regardless of where one is traveling, one

needs to always call ahead to every airline involved in the itinerary to be

sure that one's seats are actually confirmed. Personally, I was under the

naïve impression that just because a travel agent takes your money and

issues you a ticket, your seats are guaranteed. Live and learn.

 

Devadeva Jagatpate db

 

Contact information: jwalatravels (AT) aol (DOT) com / 263-10 Hillside Ave., Floral

Park, NY 11004 / 718) 343-6973 / 718) 343-4993 / 212) 213-0402 / 917)

519-2671 / Fax: 718) 343-6938