IndiGo Airlines asked to pay Rs 5.10 lakh to Hyderabad resident for humiliation, harassment

Hyderabad: District Consumer Redressal Commission, Ranga Reddy has directed Interglobe Aviation Limited (IndiGo Airlines) to pay Rs 5 lakh as compensation and Rs 10,000 towards the cost of the litigation for causing physical and mental agony to a Hyderabad resident.

Case details

Allumolu Giridhar Rao, a resident of Kavuri Hills in Hyderabad, had booked an online ticket bearing IDYT40438457 on December 04, 2020, to travel from Hyderabad to Port Blair via Kolkata and Port Blair to Hyderabad via Chennai respectively. He made a payment of Rs 92,210 for five members including him. Rao has planned this holiday trip along with 10 other family members well in advance and made hotel payments at Port Blair and Havelock Islands.

Rao received boarding passes one day before the journey

Along with accommodation, Rao also made payments for ferry tickets along with other transportation on a non-refundable basis. It was a package trip.

On December 24, 2020, he received an email stating that the tickets were canceled but he noticed the email at 2.45 am when he reached the airport with family members, three hours before the departure. He received boarding passes around 9 am on December 23, 2020,. He was shocked to know that all tickets in the given PNRs were canceled by IndiGo Airlines without their knowledge.

After waiting for 20 minutes at the booking counter in the airport, Rao was informed that the tickets were canceled by Indigo upon receiving a call from the customer, though the tickets were not canceled by him or his family members. He requested to restore the same which they denied. Rao was even informed by IndiGo Airlines that one-way tickets to Port Blair can be revived only after payment of an additional amount of Rs 71,645 towards new flight tickets and other miscellaneous expenses.

IndiGo issued tickets with the same PNR number.

Though Rao and his family members suffered a lot of emotional stress and tension in the airport since all the hotel bookings, ferry tickets, and transportation were paid for the whole trip without any alternative, he paid Rs 71,645 and Indigo Airlines issued new tickets with same PNR number AH4ITC for the Hyderabad to Port Blair via Kolkata.

Rao and his daughter Naga Anjani Mounica Allumolu had to purchase the return tickets from Port Blair to Hyderabad via Chennai on December 29, 2020, for their return trip at the Port Blair Airport on December 24, 2020, for Rs 35,925.

The amount for this booking was paid in cash because the Indigo Airlines swiping machine was not working and Rao and his daughter had to run from pillar to post for ATMs. The entire process took them two hours because of which they missed the pre-planned and pre-paid programs and tourist attractions. In his complaint, Rao submitted that he had spent an additional amount of Rs 1,07,590 on flight tickets and other miscellaneous expenses. Having been vexed with the attitude of IndiGo Airlines, Rao issued a legal notice on January 12, 2021, and the same was received by Indigo Airlines on January 15, 2021.

Crime branch police served notice to Indigo.

Rao also approached Crime Branch Police Cyberabad and complained on January 21, 2021, against IndiGo Airlines. Cyberabad Commissioner served a notice to Indigo Airlines on January 23, 2021, under 91/160 Cr.P.C., and surprisingly after receiving the same, IndiGoAirlines on February 3, 2021, deposited Rs 57,590 to Rao but failed to pay any compensation for the mental harassment, trauma, agony, emotional stress, financial loss faced by Rao and his family.

IndiGo denied Rao’s allegations

IndiGo Airlines in its written version contended that this is a case of a voluntary booking cancellation by Rao and not a flight cancellation case alleged by him. The airline has levied the cancellation fee on the booking fare and refunded the residual amount after the deduction of the applicable cancellation fee and purely as a goodwill gesture and believing Rao’s claim to be bonafide, refunded the entire booking amount.

IndiGo Airlines also went above and beyond its obligations by providing an additional compensation of Rs 7,320 and also travel vouchers worth Rs 500 per passenger even before his present complaint. Hence it also claimed there was no deficiency of service by them but did not file any cogent evidence regarding the cancellation of confirmed tickets by the complainant.

Court noted that IndiGo caused inconvenience to Rao

After going through the pleadings, the Court noted that IndiGo Airlines caused inconvenience to Rao and his family both physically and mentally at every stage of the tour. Without giving any attention which ought to have been given as it was a family of five members team on a holiday trip, and it is clear that to cover the latches only Indigo Airlines paid an additional amount of compensation of Rs 7,320 and issued travel vouchers worth Rs 500 per passenger under the guise of goodwill gesture is nothing but unfair trade practice and deficiency in services by them.

“It is humiliating to the travelers to purchase tickets again for the same flights to and fro journey though holding confirmed tickets. There is no error on the part of the complainant as he did not cancel the ticket, and the total fault is of IndiGo Airlines hence, they are liable to pay damages for such an extreme degree of negligence. Being a top Airline Company no such blunder can be expected from them and if they did, they must pay for it,” the Court said.