Man gets Rs 10K relief for cancelled flight tickets

Chandigarh, May 6

Holding guilty of deficiency in services for delaying refund for the cancelled flight, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Chandigarh, has directed Vistara Airline and travel company EaseMy Trip, Delhi, to pay Rs 10,000 as compensation to a city resident.

Rajeev Singhal, a resident of Sector-51, Chandigarh, approached the commission after the airline and the travel company refused to refund the amount which he paid as fare of the journey from Mumbai to Chandigarh. In the complaint filed before the commission, Rajeev Singhal said he booked air tickets of Vistara Airline, through EaseMy Trip travel company, on September 15,2020 for journey from Mumbai to Chandigarh on October 22, 2020 and return journey from Chandigarh to Mumbai on November 1, 2020 after making payment of Rs 8,651.

He said Vistara on September 18, 2020 cancelled the scheduled flights from Mumbai to Chandigarh for departure on October 22, 2020 and sent a message for the same. Thereafter, he sought refund of cancelled flight, but the airline instead of refunding the amount offered open ticket valid till March 31,2021 with applicability of difference of fare, which he refused to accept and demanded refund.

The complainant said he travelled through another flight of Indigo Airlines on October 23, 2020 from Mumbai to Chandigarh after getting a new booking through the travel company on payment of Rs 4,007.

The travel agency in the reply said that the payment of Rs 4,006 refund had been made to the complainant as received from Vistara on December 11, 2020 towards the cancelled flight. Vistara Airline also denied all allegations and said that the refund had been made to the travel agent.

After hearing arguments, the commission said the grievance raised by the complainant with the travel company and the airlines had been redressed only after the filing of the complaint.“Record further reveals that earlier to the filing of the complaint, the complainant was not given the refund of the cancelled ticket when the flight booked by the complainant was cancelled. Airlines offered an open ticket to the complainant. The records reveal that the refund was made to the complainant on December 11, 2020 , whereas the flight was cancelled on September 18,2020 . In view of this, the travel company and the airline are held guilty for the deficiency in services for the delayed processing of the refund.