Kochi: The Ernakulam consumer disputes redressal forum has ordered Air India to pay a compensation of Rs 50,000 to a passenger for an inordinate delay in one of its services that led to the flyer missing his connecting flight.
The delay, without a valid reason, and the airline's failure to provide refreshments to the passenger during the period of delay amounted to failure in service, noted the forum.
The complainant, Piravom native Sibi Simon, working at Lincoln in England, had purchased tickets from Air India for his family's return trip from Kochi to Delhi. The onward journey from Delhi to Manchester was booked by a Swiss Air flight scheduled to depart at 1.15 am on April 24, 2014.
While the incoming Air India flight to Kochi was delayed by 90 minutes on April 23, it returned to Delhi only two hours later. Meanwhile, two other flights had left Kochi for Delhi. With an inordinate delay of around four hours, the Air India flight finally reached Delhi at 12.20am. By this time the Swiss Air counter was closed.
Sibi contacted the Air India authorities at Delhi for assistance but they were of no help. He, his pregnant wife and kids were stranded in the airport for the whole night without any facility to take rest. Sibi was finally compelled to buy fresh tickets from the British Airways by paying Rs 2,54,870.
01/02/16 TC Sreemol/Times of India
To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline
The delay, without a valid reason, and the airline's failure to provide refreshments to the passenger during the period of delay amounted to failure in service, noted the forum.
The complainant, Piravom native Sibi Simon, working at Lincoln in England, had purchased tickets from Air India for his family's return trip from Kochi to Delhi. The onward journey from Delhi to Manchester was booked by a Swiss Air flight scheduled to depart at 1.15 am on April 24, 2014.
While the incoming Air India flight to Kochi was delayed by 90 minutes on April 23, it returned to Delhi only two hours later. Meanwhile, two other flights had left Kochi for Delhi. With an inordinate delay of around four hours, the Air India flight finally reached Delhi at 12.20am. By this time the Swiss Air counter was closed.
Sibi contacted the Air India authorities at Delhi for assistance but they were of no help. He, his pregnant wife and kids were stranded in the airport for the whole night without any facility to take rest. Sibi was finally compelled to buy fresh tickets from the British Airways by paying Rs 2,54,870.
01/02/16 TC Sreemol/Times of India
