Flight Timing Change Goes To Wrong Email; Consumer Commission Orders Rs 1.80 Lakh Relief

Flight schedules can change even after tickets are booked, leaving passengers with little time to adjust their plans. Airlines and travel agencies usually inform passengers about such changes, but a missed update can sometimes lead to bigger problems, including missed flights and extra expenses.
In a recent case involving two passengers who missed their flight after a change in departure time was not properly communicated to them, the District Consumer Commission in New Delhi has ordered a relief of Rs 1.80 lakh to the passengers.

What Happened In The Case

Two passengers had booked a London-Delhi return flight through a travel agency. Their return flight from London was originally scheduled to depart at 11:45 am. According to their complaint, the passengers reached the airport at 9:43 am and reported at the airline counter within the permissible time.

However, the flight had been rescheduled to 10:45 am, and the passengers were allegedly denied boarding on the ground that they had arrived late. The passengers alleged that they were not aware of the revised departure time, as the email notifying them about the change had been sent to an incorrect email address.

The passengers said they were concerned about overstaying in the UK beyond the six-month period permitted under their tourist visa. As such, they had to purchase fresh tickets to return to India, and ended up spending an additional Rs 30,500 for the travel, according to a report in the Indian Express. 

The passengers held the airline and the travel agency responsible for failing to properly communicate the change in departure time. The airline denied liability and argued that the tickets had been booked through the travel agency and that it had no control over information provided by the third party. The travel agency also denied responsibility, saying it had no control over the airline’s flight operations.

What The Commission Said

The District Consumer Commission, comprising president Poonam Chaudhry and member Shekhar Chandra, found that the passengers had not been properly informed about the flight rescheduling.

The Commission observed that the correct email address was known to both the airline and the travel agency, and that the passengers should have been informed about the change in the flight schedule on time.

It held that the passengers suffered financial loss and inconvenience because of the failure to communicate the revised timing, forcing them to purchase fresh tickets and make arrangements to return to India. The Commission also rejected the airline’s and the travel agency’s attempt to bounce responsibility to the other.

The District Consumer Commission has directed the airline to refund Rs 30,500 spent on the fresh tickets. The airline and travel agency were also ordered to pay compensation of Rs 50,000 each to the two passengers for mental agony and harassment, along with Rs 25,000 each towards litigation expenses. The total relief awarded to the passengers was Rs 1,80,500.