Makemytrip.com is a one stop solution for travellers to India. Their website is comprehensive, and is similar to the Australian equivalent: Wotif.com. I am a great fan of Wotif.com (see my earlier post). I was recommended by a friend to give Makemytrip.com to plan my Indian trip.
The website
The website is comprehensive, providings travellers with air, bus, and rail options. Their main attraction is the cheap accommodation packages. I wanted to book accommodation in New Delhi, and it provided me with a range of options quickly within my budget. Furthermore, you can direct your search based on location (i.e.: South Delhi, Gurgoan, Connaught Place, or International Airport). Using this in conjunction with Google Maps made my booking a breeze.
With flight bookings, they have a really cool feature which tells you the percentage on time statistics for flights, and average delays expected. Internal flights in India can be a bit of a nightmare, so don’t go for the cheapest flights. You will also notice the exaggerated taxes associated with flights. Advertising is not strictly controlled, so they will advertise only the cost price of flights and not tell you the taxes until the very last page (which can be very annoying). Similar advertising strategies are not allowed in Australia.
Addit: Recently they do display the “all inclusive price” straight up.
The service
Most web companies have minimal customer service. This is what makes Makemytrip.com much better than other similar products. They have call centres staffed to assist you in your bookings. I made some changes to my booking, and dealt mainly with emails. In most cases, I received replies within 24 hours which is excellent service for a large web company. I also spoke to staff at their head office in Gurgoan who were very helpful. However, their Australian headquarters in Sydney were not very helpful at all, with a guy who spoke little English (which I was not expecting).
Cancellations
I had to cancel a few flights and rebook them. I received full refund of the taxes (which amounted to the majority of the price) which was pretty cool. Similar refunds are not possible with many Australian airlines. The refunds were processed within 5 business days straight into my credit card.
Suggestions
* Too much graphics on your site, so keep it to a minimum to make bookings easier.
* Perhaps a site specific to Australian travellers will be helpful, similar to your US and UAE site. I understand volume is an issue
* Add a feature where you can get reduced prices if you leave your booking till late (similar to lastminute.com, or wotif.com)
Inside tips
* Read the fine price carefully, notice: refundable, non-refundable tickets
* Choose your airline carefully, stick to: Jet Airways in general
* Allow plenty of time for connections, Indian airports are notorious for bad design and cause maximum annoyance for travelers with multiple security checks due to domestic security issues
* Check with smarttraveller.gov.au before you anywhere.
Summary – 8/10 (I would use it again)
The cluttered search results page needs an overhaul. I am impressed with your level of customer service.
