Ludhiana: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has ordered a travel company and an airlines to refund Rs 45,656 for ‘deficiency in service’ after a student missed his connecting international flight to Australia due to a delayed domestic flight.The commission also ordered the opposite parties to pay a composite cost of Rs10,000 to the complainants, Rajiv Modgill of Dugri and his son Ishaan Modgill.As per the complaint, on Feb 27, 2024, Rajiv Modgill had booked a ticket for his son, who is studying at a college in Adelaide of Australia, from the portal of a travel company for the airlines for Rs 40,352 (774.48 Australian Dollars). The flight was scheduled on March 2, 2024, at 3.25 pm from Amritsar to Delhi and Mumbai, and then to Adeliade (Australia).The complainants stated that Ishaan Modgil reached Amritsar Airport on March 2, 2024, at 12 pm and the departure time of flight was 3:25 pm, but the flight departed from Amritsar at 5:25 pm, i.e. about two hours later. As a result, the flight landed at New Delhi airport at about 7:30 pm, due to which the passenger could not catch his next flight from Delhi to Mumbai as the same had already departed on 7 pm.On enquiring about the matter from travel company, it provided the next flight from Delhi to Mumbai at 8:30 pm on March 2, 2024, which reached Mumbai 12:30 am on March 3, 2024. However, the next flight from Mumbai had departed at 12 am .Rajiv Modgill later purchased a ticket from another airlines. The complainants claimed to have suffered mental agony and harassment due to deficiency in service on the part of the opposite parties. The complainants also prayed for issuing directions to the opposite parties to refund the amount of new ticket of Rs.1,13,435 along with compensation of Rs 20 lakhs and litigation expenses of Rs 55,000.The opposite parties didn’t appear despite service of notices, and were proceeded against exparte.The commission after appreciating the evidence on record, observed that in the complaint, there are recitals to the fact that they had to shell out the extra amount for booking ticket in urgent category and to prove this fact, the complainants have duly placed on record account statement regarding payment of Rs 73,083 to another airlines.It further observed that as such, certainly there is deficiency in service and unfair trade practice on the part of the opposite parties.
