Kerala consumer commission says airline failed to justify denial of boarding and must refund the original fare
A Kerala consumer commission has ordered an airline to pay Rs 70,287 to a mother and her minor son after they were denied boarding on a confirmed Kochi-Abu Dhabi flight and were forced to make alternative travel arrangements.
The case relates to a journey booked for 11 February 2021. The mother had purchased tickets for herself and her approximately three-year-old son from Kochi to Abu Dhabi for Rs 20,287. She told the commission that both had valid travel documents and met the travel requirements applicable at the time.
According to the complaint, the passengers were nevertheless not permitted to board the Abu Dhabi-bound flight. The airline allegedly did not provide a satisfactory explanation for the decision and did not refund the original fare.
The mother subsequently purchased fresh tickets from Kochi to Sharjah for Rs 29,510. As Abu Dhabi remained their intended destination, she and her child then had to undertake an additional journey from Sharjah to Abu Dhabi.
The airline did not appear before the commission despite being served notice, and the case proceeded in its absence.
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The commission observed that if boarding had been refused because of a legal restriction, failure to meet mandatory travel conditions or another valid reason attributable to the passengers, the airline should have established that before the commission
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No such explanation or evidence was produced
Holding that the airline’s failure amounted to a deficiency in service, the commission ordered a refund of the original Rs 20,287 airfare. It also awarded Rs 40,000 as compensation for mental agony, inconvenience and hardship, along with Rs 10,000 towards legal proceedings.
The order underlines that airlines must have a legally sustainable reason for refusing boarding to passengers holding confirmed tickets and cannot retain the fare for a service that was not provided.
