A resident of Chandigarh, Anil Kumar received a total refund of what he had paid for his air ticket plus other payments made by him as compensation from The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. He is also dismayed by the rejection from Air India to accommodate him simply because of a missing return ticket.
Kumar is from Chandigarh, Sector 22. On June 17th, 2022 he decided to travel to Paris by booking a flight with airline company Air India through MakeMyTrip online travel agency with a tourist visa for Spain and paid Rs 26,783 but upon arrival at the Airport he was not allowed to board because European Union regulations require anyone traveling internally within Europe must show proof that they are returning home.
Kumar says he tried to fix it by booking another ticket on the spot which but due to closure of check-in desk boarding was impossible. Later he cancelled this ticket but ₹9,000 was deducted off it. Kumar argued that Air India officials’ actions caused him undue stress and jeopardized his entire travel plan. He accused them of being “callous, irresponsible, and negligent.”
Air India and MakeMyTrip Defend Actions
Air India justified their actions by citing European travel regulations that mandate a return ticket for boarding. They claimed that by the time Kumar secured a return ticket, the check-in window had closed.
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MakeMyTrip, acting as a facilitator between Kumar and Air India, stated they fulfilled their obligation by providing a confirmed flight ticket. They claimed no further responsibility after the booking confirmation.
Commission Sides with Passenger
The Consumer Commission, after reviewing the case, concluded that Kumar wasn’t at fault for the missed flight. They observed that the airlines’ actions were the sole reason for the denied boarding. Therefore, the commission ruled that both Air India and MakeMyTrip were obligated to refund the entire ticket amount of ₹35,783 (including the ₹9,000 deduction) along with interest at 9% per annum from June 17, 2022.
Furthermore, the commission awarded Kumar ₹25,000 as compensation for the mental stress, inconvenience, and legal costs he incurred due to the ordeal.
