‘Rajma Chawal For Rs 400?’ SpiceJet Passenger Left Fuming Over Delay And Expensive Food At Delhi Airport

A man recently described their experience with SpiceJet at Delhi’s Terminal 1 (T1) airport as the “worst flight experience” ever. The frustration started when the passenger found out the lounge he planned to use was closed for renovations, forcing him to purchase food at the terminal. He was taken aback by the steep prices: Rs 200 for tea, Rs 300 for coffee and Rs 400 for Rajma Chawal. The situation worsened when his SpiceJet flight, initially delayed by an hour, was further postponed by two more hours, and passengers were asked to disembark. Reactions to the post were mixed, with some noting that high food prices at airports are typical, while others shared similar grievances with SpiceJet.

The Reddit user explained, “Worst Flight Experience ever. I arrived at T1 terminal of Delhi airport to catch my flight which was scheduled for 10:30am. I arrived early hoping to use the lounge but guess what, the lounge is under renovation now so there’s no way to access it. I could just eat in one of the food store? Here’s the thing, there are only 3 food stores in the entire terminal and which are crazy overpriced, let me share some example of the menu. Tea – Rs 200, Coffee Rs 300, Rajma Rice Rs 400, Burger – Rs 300, Mendu Vada – Rs 300. Also along with this, there weren’t any place to sit and eat near the food stores. But this was not all, the flight got delayed by 1hr, reason was not given but still I could take the delay and manage to make it in time.”

The situation deteriorated further when the flight finally arrived at the airport. Passengers began boarding at 11:30 AM, but the plane still did not take off. For the next 30 minutes, flight attendants repeatedly mentioned they were waiting for confirmation. At 12:30 PM, passengers were unexpectedly asked to leave the plane. An official announcement later revealed that the flight was delayed, with a new departure time set for 2:45 PM. Passengers were reportedly not provided with any explanation for the delay.

Reacting to the post, a user asked, “Are you travelling for the 1st time? These are pretty common rates on airports. SpiceJet sucks though, I always choose Indigo or Air India even if it means paying a bit more. Sucks about the lounge though, didn’t know it was under renovation.”

Another shared, “The reason your flight got delayed is because they are combining passengers from two different flights to cut costs when one flight doesn’t get fully booked. Therefore, it’s better not to book with SpiceJet.”

“Bhai sirf kuch ghante delay hui hai, meri ek baar 3 days delay ho gayi thi. (It’s only a few hours delayed; mine was once delayed by three days),” a comment read.

An individual shared, “Food at the airports are rightly priced, the shops are rented and its rent is too high, so the food you buy is also costly, this applies to all the airports even outside India, shops at airport don’t run for charity, they need to earn profit and pay salary to the employees and feed their families, electricity, water, logistics cost etc.”

One more added, “That’s why I always carry a big hoodie and a tumbler to make my own premix tea. Bag has more food than clothes. Can’t travel in peace if there’s not enough food in my trollies.”

In a comment update, the passenger eventually discovered the reason for the delay: the plane was missing some parts that were expected to be delivered by another flight arriving at 2:30 PM.