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A technical snag affecting DreamFolks, a leading platform for airport lounge access in India, has caused disruption at various airports across the country. This disruption, which started a few days ago, has impacted customers relying on card-based access to airport lounges, leaving them unable to authenticate their credit or debit cards for entry.
DreamFolks, known for its partnerships with banks, credit card issuers, card networks, and airport lounge providers, acknowledged the temporary service disruption. While the exact number of affected lounges and customers is not clear, the impact is substantial, considering DreamFolks holds a 95% market share in card-based lounge access in India and covers 71 airport lounges. This means many travellers using credit and debit cards from partner banks like SBI Card, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, and Bank of Baroda, have been unable to access lounges through the DreamFolks platform.
Other platforms, such as Collinson Group, have not been affected by this technical issue. This highlights the reliance many travellers have on DreamFolks, leaving them stranded without access to airport lounges. DreamFolks has issued a statement assuring its commitment to resolving the issue quickly, stating that their team is “working diligently with our partners to identify the root cause and implement solutions.” They also reassured their commitment to contractual obligations with their partners, asserting their “full compliance” with these agreements.
The disruption has attracted attention from Adani Airport Holdings (AAHL), which operates seven airports in India. AAHL expressed frustration over the service disruption, labelling it a “violation” of DreamFolks’ agreements with the airports. AAHL emphasized that lounges at their airports were accepting all major debit and credit cards from other access providers, highlighting the inconvenience caused by the DreamFolks outage. Despite repeated requests from AAHL, DreamFolks’ services remained unavailable.
DreamFolks has acknowledged the inconvenience caused to passengers and stated that their priority is to restore normal operations swiftly. They recognize the importance of their services within the airport ecosystem, expressing confidence that the measures taken will result in a stronger and more reliable service framework in the future. The resolution of this issue is critical for DreamFolks to maintain its reputation and ensure the continued smooth operation of its services, as well as to maintain trust with its partners and customers.