9 hrs ago
Airline Ordered to Pay Rs 85,816 After Missed Connection
A family was flying from Patna to Mangalore through Mumbai.
Their first flight was delayed several times.
Because of this, they missed their next flight.
The airline did not arrange another way for them to continue their trip.
The family bought new tickets and paid for a hotel and transportation.
They showed the commission bills and other documents.
The airline said bad weather caused the delay and that it should not have to pay.
The commission decided the airline still had to cover the proven expenses and provide compensation.
The total payment ordered was Rs 85,816.
A Patna-Mumbai flight delay caused a family to miss its Mumbai-Mangalore connection on January 16, 2021.
The family bought replacement tickets and paid for accommodation and transport after the airline offered no onward alternative.
The airline blamed bad weather and cited terms exempting it from liability for extraordinary circumstances.
The Patna commission found the documented expenses genuine and linked to the airline’s failure to arrange an alternative journey.
The airline was ordered to pay Rs 15,816 in expenses, Rs 50,000 for hardship, and Rs 20,000 in litigation costs.
- Who
- A passenger and his family, the airline, and the Patna District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.
- What
- The commission ordered the airline to pay Rs 85,816 after delays caused the family to miss a connecting flight.
- Where
- The family traveled from Patna through Mumbai to Mangalore.
- When
- The journey occurred on January 16, 2021; the commission order was issued on September 8.
- Why
- The commission found that the airline failed to arrange an alternative onward journey after its delay caused the missed connection.
Passenger and Commission
Airline
Responsibility for missed connection
Passenger and Commission
The passenger said repeated delays caused the missed Mumbai-Mangalore flight and that the airline failed to arrange an alternative journey.
Airline
The airline argued that bad weather caused the delay and that its terms of carriage exempted it from liability in extraordinary circumstances.
Additional expenses
Passenger and Commission
The passenger sought reimbursement for replacement tickets, hotel and transport costs, a lost advance hotel booking, and compensation for hardship.
Airline
The airline said the connecting ticket had been refunded and described the broader compensation claim as exaggerated and insufficiently supported.
Commission’s finding
Passenger and Commission
The commission found the submitted tickets, bills, and other documents genuine and directly connected to the disruption.
Airline
The airline maintained that compensation was not payable when the delay resulted from weather conditions.
Key facts
- Total amount ordered
- Rs 85,816
- Original booking
- Three confirmed tickets from Patna to Mangalore via Mumbai, costing Rs 18,697
- Previously refunded
- Rs 4,389
- Expense reimbursement
- Rs 15,816 payable after accounting for the earlier refund
- Mental agony and physical hardship
- Rs 50,000
- Litigation costs
- Rs 20,000
- Airline’s defense
- The delay was attributed to bad weather in Delhi and extraordinary-circumstances terms
Quotes
Patna District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission
The Bihar consumer commission that ruled on the passenger’s complaint
“Since the opposite party didn’t arrange any alternate flight to reach Mangalore from Mumbai, the complainant was bound to purchase a fresh ticket,”
financialexpress.com
Sources
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