Passengers air their grievance, AI asked to shell out Rs 2 lakh

Ahmedabad: Holding Air India guilty of deficiency in service, Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Ahmedabad (Rural), has directed the national carrier to make a refund of Rs 2,43,241 with nine per cent interest to one Tarun Seth and his wife Pratibha. It has also ordered payment of compensation to the Seths for mental agony, inconvenience and shock.
The order came following a complaint filed by Consumer Education and Research Society, Ahmedabad, and the Seths against Air India regional manager here and the commercial director at Mumbai. Seth and his wife had booked business class tickets for an Air India flight from New York to Mumbai on October 14, 2004 and had paid Rs 2,43,241. On boarding the flight, they found that the seats allotted to them were not in proper condition, nor were they adjustable. Being senior citizens, they had spinal cord related problems and so found it difficult to travel in those seats. They complained to the flight staff, who told them that they would be accommodated in comfortable seats at London.
At London, their complaint was not resolved and they were not given the promised seats due to which they had to travel in discomfort and had their backache aggravated besides suffering mental and physical harassment. Once home, they approached Air India which regretted the inconvenience and offered them free tickets for the Mumbai-London- Mumbai sector. As they rejected this offer, they were offered free tickets for Mumbai-New York flight but they refused this offer also. The complainants were asking for tickets with a stopover at London but Air India turned down their demand.
Subsequently, they approached CERS which issued legal notice to Air India asking it refund the air fare to the complainants. This failed to get a response and a complaint then was filed with the Forum.
17/08/07 Ahmedabad Newsline

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Categories: Air India Aug 2007, Foreign Aug 2007