Airline service asked to refund half of fare

The Dakshina Kannada District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed an airline service to refund half of the fare of a passenger.

In a recent order, the forum said that K. Suresh of Anegundi, Bejai, had booked his journey by Jet Airways from Mangaluru to Nagpur paying Rs.17,178 for himself and his wife.

The flight was scheduled to leave at 11.20 a.m. on December 28, 2012. The two were denied a boarding pass and they travelled in another flight of the same airliner. They had to attend a function at Nagpur the next day.

Mr. Suresh said he underwent mental tension and hardships and sought a refund of the fare, compensation of Rs. 25,000 and the cost of litigation.

The airline service said that they were declared late on arrival as only 20 minutes were left for the departure.

Forum president Asha Shetty said in the order that the complainant had admitted that they reached the Mangalore Airport at 10.50 a.m. though the e-ticket clearly stipulated “check-in starts 2 hours before scheduled departure of the flight and closes 45 minutes prior to the departure time...” Finding that they came “very late”, the forum said the Opposite Party was not responsible for any deficiency in service.

However, in order to meet the ends of justice, the Opposite Party should have cancelled their bookings and refunded at least half of the flight charge as they had not availed the service and that they have travelled in another flight of the same airliner and asked it refund half of the airfare.