An international traveller recently shared an extraordinary tale of flying business class on a round-trip journey without ever being charged for the ₹3.6 lakh ticket. The passenger's experience, detailed in a viral Reddit post, suggests a rare banking glitch allowed him to enjoy a premium cabin experience completely free of cost.
The Disappearing Payment
The traveller booked the business class ticket with a foreign airline approximately 45 days before departure, using an Axis Bank M4B credit card. Initially, the payment appeared to process normally. However, after about a week, while checking his Axis Bank app for reward points, he noticed the transaction was still listed as "in process."
On the eighth day, the charge mysteriously vanished from his credit card statement. Concerned about a potential cancellation, he contacted Axis Bank customer support. The bank reportedly informed him that the merchant (the airline) had not claimed the transaction, explaining that such payments are automatically reversed after a week if left unclaimed.
Booking Confirmed, Charges Absent
Despite the lack of payment, the traveller found his booking remained active on the airline's website, which even displayed a receipt confirming payment had been received. He then contacted the airline's helpline, where he was assured that "everything is in order" with his reservation.
In the weeks leading up to his flight, the passenger continued to monitor the booking, anticipating that the airline might eventually attempt to charge him, as he had read about similar situations where payments were requested closer to the travel date. However, no such request ever came.
A Complimentary Journey
The day of departure arrived, and to the traveller's surprise, no payment was requested at check-in or during any stage of his journey. He completed the first leg of his trip, even earning frequent flyer miles, all without a single rupee being deducted from his account.
"NGL, I enjoyed the heck out of the flight knowing that it was completely free lol," the traveller wrote in his Reddit post, expressing both disbelief and delight at the unexpected turn of events. He acknowledged the possibility of a future reconciliation by the airline's accounting team but noted it seemed increasingly unlikely.
Community Reactions and Warnings
The story quickly garnered significant attention on Reddit, with many users sharing similar anecdotes of unclaimed payments or unexpected upgrades. While some marvelled at his "insane luck," others cautioned the traveller to keep the equivalent amount of money untouched, advising that the airline could still attempt to recover the payment at a later date. One commenter recounted an Airbnb booking where the company eventually sent an apology and requested payment via bank transfer after a similar glitch.