Go Airlines told to pay Rs 1 lakh to aggrieved family

Deficiency in service

Aneesha Sareen

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 8

After a family of four suffered harassment, misery and inordinate delay on part of Go Airlines, the UT Consumer Disputes The redressal forum has directed the airlines to pay Rs 1 lakh to the aggrieved family.

The awarded amount includes refund of Rs 70,000 for loss of one night stay at Hotel Taj Fort, Goa, Rs 20,000 compensation on account of deficiency in service and causing mental and physical harassment to the complainant and Rs 10,000 as litigation costs.

The complainant, Tarlochan Singh, a resident of Sector 4, Chandigarh, purchased an inclusive package of air travel-cum-hotel stay for three days/nights for four persons from Go airlines and Bajaj Travels in Sector 17 and paid consideration amount of Rs 2,10,000 on January 6, 2015.

The package comprised of air travel by Go Airlines from Chandigarh to Goa and return with a stay at Hotel Taj Fort, Aguda, North Goa. The air journey was to commence on February 17, 2015, by flight No.382/371 of Go Airlines with scheduled departure at 11.30 am from Chandigarh to Mumbai. The flight was cancelled by Go Airlines at the last moment without announcement of any reason nor were they told about the schedule of the next flight. Thus, the complainant was made to wait for the entire day on February 17, 2015, without any definite information for the next flight to be boarded. The complainant and his other three family members were ultimately accommodated in flight No. 384/379 which departed from Chandigarh at 1900 hrs, thereby, causing a delay of seven and half hours. The complainant reached at the Mumbai-Goa Airport by 10 pm. instead of reaching by 1.30 pm on that day.

Due to inordinate delay at the Chandigarh Airport, the complainants missed their connecting flight from Mumbai to Goa resulting in an agonising wait for further 10 -long hours at the Mumbai Airport on the intervening night on February 17 and 18. The airlines failed to provide any facility whatsoever and the complainant along with his family was once again left to bear the brunt at the Mumbai Airport. The complainant eventually boarded flight No.G8-375 on February 18, 2015, from Mumbai to Goa and this flight too was delayed by about three and half hours and departed at 9 am instead of scheduled departure at 5.25 am.

The complainant along with his family members thus arrived at Hotel Taj Fort, Aguda, North Goa, by noon on the next day.

No one appeared before the forum on behalf of Go Airlines and thus proceedings were adjudged ex parte.

The forum headed by president PL Ahuja and members Suresh Kumar Sardana and Surjeet Kaur stated that the complainant and his family members lost one-night hotel stay in Goa costing non-refundable amount of Rs 70,000.

“The act of Go Airlines in cancelling the scheduled flight at the last moment, without announcement of any reasons to do so, has not only caused inordinate delay and harassment to the complainant and his family members, but also forced the complainant to indulge in present unnecessary litigation,” said the forum.’