Kapurthala consumer forum orders airline to refund Rs 2.30 lakh

KAPURTHALA: Kapurthala district consumer disputes redressal forum has ordered Qatar Airways to refund entire tour and travel expenditure of Rs 2.30 lakh to a couple, which they had paid for a trip to Paris, along with interest and Rs 25,000 as compensation and litigation fee. The forum said that negligence of the airline staff was established for not issuing boarding passes to the litigants in the wee hours of October 13, 2016. They failed to catch the scheduled flight.
In their order on February 9, forum president Karnail Singh and member Rajita Sareen held that negligence and deficiency on the part of the airline was established as latter did not place anything on record that visa of the applicant was forged and fabricated and the company was liable for the wrongs act of its employees.

In their complaint filed through advocate K C Malhotra, Jalandhar district’s Appra village residents Chaman Lal and his wife Ramandep Kaur had submitted that they had purchased “confirmed” to and fro air tickets of Qatar Airways along with other travel arrangements from Phagwara-based Sai Travels Experts. Both stated they had paid total amount of Rs 2.30 lakh for a trip to Paris.


They said they were scheduled to fly at 3.30 am on October 13, 2016, but when they reached the IGI Airport, Delhi just past midnight the airline staff at the concerned counter did not issue the boarding passes. They alleged that the staff simply mentioned “off load” on their tickets but did not give any satisfactory reason.

The complainants said they had to purchase air tickets at a cost of Rs 95,000 from Oman Airways on the basis of same travel documents and the Qatar Airways did not even refund any money on the pretext of “no show”.

The consumer forum order mentioned that Sai Travel Experts admitted in its reply that complainants purchased “confirmed” tickets with tour package and paid Rs 2.30 lakh but said that it was not aware that why the staff of the airline refused to deliver boarding passes to the complainants.

Qatar Airways, in its reply, stated that it was on the basis of the advice of the airline liaison officer (ALO) the boarding passes were denied to the complainants.
The airline did not deny purchase of air tickets but denied other allegations.

The forum held that no specific plea or reasons had been given by Qatar Airways and not any other document was placed on the file to prove that visa or the passport of the complainants were forged and fabricated.

Apart from refund of Rs 2.30 lakh along with interest at the rate of 9% per annum from the date of deposit, the Forum also ordered the Qatar Airways to pay compensation of Rs 20,000 for harassment and Rs 5,000 as litigation expenses.