A passenger who missed his Delhi-Raipur flight after private airline allegedly failed to specify the correct departure terminal, has been awarded Rs 60,000 by a district consumer commission in Raipur, The Indian Express reported. The commission held the private airline responsible for failing to clearly inform about the departure terminal, the report said.
The passenger had received an SMS intimating him that his flight has been advanced by 15 minutes. However, neither the message nor his ticket mentioned that the flight was departing from Terminal 1D, The Indian Express report said.
The District Consumer Commission stated that the airline’s failure to provide the correct terminal information led to a deficiency in service and an unfair trade practice.
Here’s what happened and why the consumer panel ruled in the passenger’s favour.
Passenger reached wrong terminal after flight timing changed
The passenger had booked tickets for himself and his family to travel from Delhi to Raipur on March 31, 2015 and paid Rs 13,161.
The flight was originally scheduled to depart at 5:50 pm but was advanced to 5:35 pm. The airline communicated to the passenger about the revised timing through an SMS but the departure terminal was not mentioned, the report said.
Since the family’s incoming flight had arrived at Terminal 3, the passenger went there for the return journey as well. He then learned that his Raipur flight was actually departing from Terminal 1D, about 7.5 km away.
He could not reach the correct terminal before the check-in deadline and consequently missed the flight. The family spent the night at the airport and purchased fresh tickets costing Rs 21, 135 to travel to Raipur the following day.
Consumer panel finds fault with missing terminal information
The commission noted that although the airline had informed the passenger about the revised departure timings, it had not shared details on the correct terminal.
“However, it failed to mention the departure terminal,” the commission stated in its July 21 order, as quoted by The Indian Express.
The panel mentioned that the passenger went to Terminal 3 based on the information available to him. By the time he came to know that he needed to travel to Terminal 1D, he could not reach the correct terminal before the required check-in cut-off.
The commission concluded that the situation took place because the airline failed to provide the correct departure-terminal details.
Airline cited late check-in
The airline had rejected the passenger’s legal notice on the ground that he had reported late for check-in.
As per its response as cited by IE, the revised departure time was 5:35 pm and the passenger checked in at 4:49 pm. Since the check-in counter closed 45 minutes before departure, the airline stated that boarding was not allowed in accordance with its norms.
However, the airline and travel agency did not appear before the consumer commission or submit a written statement, affidavit or proof during the proceedings.
The commission also observed that the passenger had demanded CCTV footage to prove that he had arrived on time at the airport, but the airline did not provide it.
Airline ordered to pay Rs 60,000
The commission ordered the airline to pay the passenger Rs 50,000 as compensation.
It also instructed the airline to award Rs 5,000 for mental agony and another Rs 5,000 towards litigation expenses, taking the total amount to Rs 60,000.
The commission held that the airline’s failure to inform about the correct departure terminal led to a deficiency in service and an unfair trade practice.