Court orders British Airways to pay Rs 4.2 lakh to Bengaluru family after denied boarding

A family of three received Rs 1.2 lakh in compensation and legal fees after being denied boarding on a US-bound British Airways flight to Denver, Colorado, at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on September 27, 2022. On September 27, 2022, Gopal Ramachandraiah, 42, along with his wife and two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, arrived at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) for their journey to Denver, Colorado, via London. They had purchased return tickets through the Gurgaon-based travel agency, CheapOair, paying over ₹3 lakh using a credit card. At the airport, the family was informed that their tickets were suspended due to a payment issue, despite the amount being deducted from Gopal's card, a TOI report stated.

Airline and Agency Responses

Gopal contacted British Airways officials, who directed him to address the issue with CheapOair. Facing the urgency of his business trip, he booked alternative tickets with Lufthansa from Mumbai the following day, incurring an additional ₹3.6 lakh expense. Subsequent legal notices sent to both British Airways and CheapOair on June 30, 2023, went unanswered, prompting Gopal to file a complaint with the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Bengaluru (Urban), on August 22, 2023.

Commission's Findings

The commission reviewed the submitted documents and evidence, noting that while British Airways claimed the payment issue was due to a flagged card from past bookings and stated they had offered the family an option to repurchase tickets using cash or in-person card payment, the travel agency remained absent during proceedings. The commission observed that the agency was aware of the ticket suspension but failed to inform Gopal. It concluded that both the airline and the agency's negligence led to the family's ordeal.

Compensation Details

The commission ordered British Airways and CheapOair to pay interest at 8% on the ₹3 lakh airfare from August 28, 2022, to August 28, 2023. Additionally, they were directed to compensate ₹1 lakh for the inconvenience, harassment, mental agony, and financial loss suffered by the family, along with ₹20,000 towards litigation costs.