When a human being is given too many choices, he gets befuddled. Some online booking platforms drive you crazy with options, and then clean you out

Avoid middlemen when you buy flight tickets. Use Google Travel to explore routes, airlines, and fares. Illustration by C Y Gopinath using AI

This is the story of a foolish man who tried to book two plane tickets and ended up paying the price of three. Needless to add, I was that idiot. My folly was booking through an online travel company, which recently replaced all human interactions with an inane AI chatbot.

I needed a ticket to go from Bangkok to Mumbai on October 8, tomorrow. The company’s cheapest fare, R11,518, was from IndiGo, masters of the art of the add-on. I feel lucky sometimes that take-off and landing are not optional add-ons.

I noticed a button below the website header with the words ‘Zero Cancellation Fee’. Who wouldn’t select it? I did.

Once I’d picked my flight, I was bombarded with pages of options in small print, sometimes with asterisks, footnotes, and frightening words like “T&C apply”.

First, I was informed that I would pay nearly the entire cost of the ticket, or Rs 11,219, if I cancelled my ticket. However, by paying an extra Rs 4114 to buy Cancellation Protection, I could ensure a 100 per cent refund, provided I cancelled at least 24 hours before the........

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