The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Ludhiana has directed a travel company and an airline to refund Rs 45,656 for deficiency in service after a student missed his connecting international flight to Australia due to a delayed domestic flight. The commission also ordered the opposite parties to pay a composite cost of Rs 10,000 to the complainants, Rajiv Modgill and his son Ishaan Modgill, residents of Dugri.
Background of the Complaint
On February 27, 2024, Rajiv Modgill booked a ticket for his son Ishaan, who is studying at a college in Adelaide, Australia, through a travel company's portal for a flight operated by the airline. The ticket cost Rs 40,352 (774.48 Australian Dollars). The flight was scheduled for March 2, 2024, departing at 3:25 pm from Amritsar to Delhi and then to Mumbai, followed by a connection to Adelaide.
Details of the Incident
According to the complainants, Ishaan Modgill arrived at Amritsar Airport at 12 pm on March 2, 2024, well before the scheduled departure time of 3:25 pm. However, the flight departed from Amritsar at 5:25 pm, approximately two hours late. Consequently, the flight landed at New Delhi airport at around 7:30 pm, causing the passenger to miss his next flight from Delhi to Mumbai, which had already departed at 7 pm.
Upon inquiring with the travel company, they provided an alternative flight from Delhi to Mumbai at 8:30 pm on the same day, which reached Mumbai at 12:30 am on March 3, 2024. However, the subsequent flight from Mumbai had already departed at 12 am. As a result, Ishaan was stranded in Mumbai.
Financial Loss and Claim
Rajiv Modgill later purchased a new ticket from another airline for Rs 1,13,435 to ensure his son could reach Australia. The complainants claimed they suffered mental agony and harassment due to the deficiency in service on the part of the opposite parties. They also prayed for a direction to refund the amount of the new ticket along with compensation of Rs 20 lakhs and litigation expenses of Rs 55,000.
Legal Proceedings
The opposite parties did not appear despite service of notices and were proceeded against ex parte. The commission, after appreciating the evidence on record, observed that the complainants had to shell out extra money for booking a ticket in an urgent category. To prove this, they placed on record an account statement regarding payment of Rs 73,083 to another airline.
Commission's Verdict
The commission concluded that there was certainly a deficiency in service and unfair trade practice on the part of the opposite parties. It ordered the travel company and the airline to refund Rs 45,656 and pay a composite cost of Rs 10,000 to the complainants.
