Airlines fined for serving non-veg to P’kula family

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, May 27

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed AirAsia, an international airlines, to pay Rs 1.54 lakh to a Panchkula family for serving them non-vegetarian food and for stopping them from boarding the plane.

According to the complainant Vijay Kumar Trehan (61), he, along with seven members of his family, was returning to India from Malaysia on October 13, 2018. They reached Kuala Lumpur Airport in time and reported for the security and baggage drop. They got their baggage clearance and boarding passes more than two hours before flight take-off time. However, there was a huge rush at the immigration counter and also at the security check, which took nearly one-and-a quarter hour for clearance for the complainant’s family, which comprised senior citizen, a woman and children. The distance from the boarding pass counter to the exit gate of the terminal was about 1 km and quite confusing, as there was no signage or any guidance by any airport personnel.

Despite all these hurdles, the officials at terminal gate refused them to board the plane, citing reason for a delay of 10 minutes by the complainants in arriving at the gate. The plane was still stationed at the runway and had not even started revving for taking off.

The complainants had to buy fresh tickets for next day flight of the same airlines. They had to spend Rs 27,106 in cash and Rs 76,404.70 via a credit card of a friend. Not only this, they were served chicken sandwich when they ordered vegetarian food.

Complainants’ counsel Sapna Vasudeva said a notice was issued to the airlines on November 22, 2018, which was not received back either served or unserved; hence, due to non-appearance of the airlines, it was proceeded ex-parte.

“Despite reaching the airport in time, getting their boarding passes in time, they were not allowed to board the flight, we find deficiency in service on the part of the airlines. Instead of permitting the complainants to board the flight, the airlines proceeded to offload their luggage,” stated the forum.

On serving non-vegetarian food to the complainants, it may be mentioned here that serving of non-vegetarian food to a vegetarian person is also a gross deficiency in service as it not only hurts religious sentiments, but also thrusts upon in the mind of the person concerned a sense of guilt.

Under these circumstances, the airlines is liable to not only compensate the complainants for the cost and expenditure incurred by them for the journey for next day but is also liable to pay compensation for physical harassment, pain and mental agony, hurting religious and sentimental feelings by serving non-vegetarian food to a purely vegetarian person.

The forum directed the airlines to compensate the complainants by making payments of Rs 1,19,213 on account of expenses incurred by the complainants for new tickets, hotel room rent, food expenses and cost of borrowing along with interest @ 9 per cent per annum from the date of filing of complaint till realisation.

The forum also directed AirAsia to pay Rs 30,000 to the complainants on account of physical harassment, pain and mental agony and Rs 5,500 on account of litigation charges.