1 week ago
Punjab Commission Awards Passenger Rs 1.53 Lakh After Boarding Dispute
A passenger bought a ticket from New Delhi to Toronto through Warsaw.
He said he arrived early and had all the documents needed to travel.
He claimed airline staff questioned him and then would not let him board.
The airline said he had not checked in on time and was a “No Show.”
A consumer commission examined the evidence, including an email from the travel agent.
The commission said the passenger’s explanation seemed more believable.
It ordered the airline to return the ticket money and pay extra compensation and legal costs.
The travel agency was not ordered to pay because it was only the booking agent.
A Punjab consumer commission ordered an unnamed airline to refund Rs 1,23,381 to a passenger.
The airline must also pay Rs 20,000 for mental agony and inconvenience and Rs 10,000 in litigation costs.
The passenger said he was refused boarding despite having a confirmed ticket, passport and Canadian visa.
The airline claimed he was a “No Show” who had missed the check-in deadline.
The commission found the passenger’s account more probable, but dismissed the complaint against the travel agency.
- Who
- A passenger, an unnamed airline and a travel agency were involved; the Punjab consumer commission decided the case.
- What
- The commission ordered the airline to pay a total of Rs 1,53,381 after finding deficiency in service over an alleged refusal to board.
- Where
- The passenger was due to travel from New Delhi to Toronto via Warsaw, and the case was decided in Punjab.
- When
- The article does not specify when the flight or commission order took place.
- Why
- The commission found that the airline did not provide a valid, supported justification for refusing carriage or treating the passenger as a “No Show.”
Passenger and Commission’s View
Airline’s View
Reason for missing the flight
Passenger and Commission’s View
The passenger said he arrived about five hours early, completed security and document formalities, and was then refused boarding by airline counter staff.
Airline’s View
The airline said the passenger failed to report for check-in within the required time and should be treated as a “No Show.”
Refund eligibility
Passenger and Commission’s View
The passenger sought a full refund, arguing that the airline’s refusal to carry him was unjustified.
Airline’s View
The airline argued that the ticket was non-refundable apart from applicable government taxes and said about Rs 8,920 in taxes had been processed.
Evidence
Passenger and Commission’s View
The commission relied on an email from the travel agent saying the passenger had not been allowed to board and found his version more probable.
Airline’s View
The airline’s “No Show” claim was not accepted because the commission found it unsubstantiated on the available record.
Key facts
- Ticket price
- Rs 1,23,381
- Total award
- Rs 1,53,381
- Mental-agony compensation
- Rs 20,000
- Litigation expenses
- Rs 10,000
- Passenger’s documents
- Valid passport, Canadian multiple-entry visa and confirmed ticket
- Airline’s defense
- The passenger was allegedly a “No Show” for failing to check in within the prescribed time.
- Travel-agency finding
- The complaint against the agency was dismissed because it acted as the booking agent and no independent deficiency was established.
Sources
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