E-Paper
Chandigarh: Denied boarding, passenger awarded full flight refund
The commission directed Air India Limited, New Delhi, and Make My Trip India Private Limited, Gurugram, to refund ₹35,783 to complainant Anil Kumar, a resident of Sector 22, Chandigarh
A government employee who dragged Air India to the consumer court for not allowing him to board a flight to Paris in June 2022 has been awarded a full refund of the flight ticket, along with ₹25,000 as compensation.
Anil Kumar, a resident of Sector 22, had approached the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission against Air India Limited, New Delhi, and Make My Trip India Private Limited, Gurugram.
Kumar said he had planned to visit Spain on a tourist visa to meet his friend and decided to go through Paris. He booked an Air India flight through Make My Trip for June 17, 2022, by paying ₹26,783.
But he was not allowed to board the flight, as he did not have a return ticket. Even after he booked the return ticket, he was not allowed to board the flight. When he cancelled the return ticket, ₹9,000 were deducted.
Kumar alleged he was put into an unexpected situation by the Air India officials, leading to his entire plan getting jeopardised. Further, their conduct was highly callous, irresponsible and negligent.
Appearing before the commission, Air India said as the passenger did not have a return ticket, he was not allowed to board, as per rules of Europe, and thereafter when he bought the return ticket, the counters for check in had already been closed.
Make My Trip said it was only a facilitator between the service provider concerned and intended guest. As such, it was under obligation to provide confirmed air booking/tickets to its customer, which was accordingly confirmed to the customer and it had no liability after that.
The commission observed: “When it has come on record that there was no fault on the part of the complainant due to which the air tickets had to be cancelled, rather it was solely due to the act and conduct of the opposition parties, both the parties were obligated to have refunded the entire amount without making any deduction whatsoever.”
Hence, the commission directed the opposition parties to refund ₹35,783 to the complainant, along with interest at 9% per annum with effect from June 17, 2022. It also directed to pay ₹25,000 to the complainant as compensation for causing mental agony, harassment and cost of litigation.
