Hyderabad: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-II, Hyderabad, has ordered IndiGo Airlines to refund Rs 4.14 lakh to a passenger who faced inconvenience due to the last-minute rescheduling of a flight.
In addition, the commission directed the airline to pay an additional Rs 1.47 lakh to cover the extra expenses incurred due to the flight rescheduling.
Tickets booked for wedding ceremonies
According to a report in TOI, it all began on February 28, 2023, when the complainant, P. Navaratan, booked 50 tickets with IndiGo Airlines to travel from Chennai to Ahmedabad and from Ahmedabad to Indore on June 11, 2023, for his daughter’s wedding ceremonies.
For the tickets, the complainant paid Rs 4,14,150.
However, on May 27, his travel agent informed him about a delay in the flight by over three hours.
Though he requested the airline to provide an alternative solution, it was denied.
With very little time left before the wedding ceremonies, the complainant had to book 50 new tickets, paying Rs 5.61 lakh.
Following the incident, the complainant approached the commission with his grievance.
In response, IndiGo claimed that the information about the flight delay had been communicated to the passenger on May 10 via email and on May 11 via SMS, with an option to choose another flight or cancel for a full refund.
The airline alleged that the passenger did not respond until May 30.
Hyderabad Commission orders IndiGo Airlines to pay additional Rs 30K
After hearing both sides, the commission held the airline responsible for not refunding the ticket amount, despite the flight being rescheduled due to operational reasons.
The commission not only asked the airline to refund the amount paid for the original tickets and to cover the extra expenses but also ordered it to pay Rs 30,000 as compensation and costs.