Saturday, March 14, 2020

‘Can’t exploit hapless consumers’: IndiGo told to refund excess amount charged

In a rare order passed by the District Consumer Forum of Panchkula, it has asked Indigo Airlines to refund 53 per cent of the total fare, amounting to almost Rs 40,000 by ruling that airlines cannot exploit hapless consumers stuck in desperate situations.

According to the complaint filed by P R Singhania, he along with four others of his family had to go to Patna to attend a function and had reserved their tickets in Rajdhani Express almost three months prior for the same. But due to dense fog at that time in northern India, all trains including his were running extremely late. The complainant, after his train was delayed by 24 hours, was forced to cancel the said rail tickets and travel by air instead of train. He thus booked five air tickets via Indigo Airlines from Patna to New Delhi.

During the hearing of the case, it was argued that due to the compelling situation, the complainant was “forced” to pay Rs 74,500 for five tickets at Rs 14,900 per person, instead of the maximum usual tarrif Rs 3,000 to 3,500 per ticket.
The complainant claimed that an arbitrarily exorbitant air fare excess by Rs 11,400 per ticket from the complainant, aggregating to Rs 57,000 for all ive air tickets was charged.
The forum, noting that though several factors come into play while fixing the air fare, but replying upon the air fare charged by Air India, citing it is a public sector undertaking of Government of India, observed, that though “it is a matter of common knowledge that airlines charge higher rates in peak seasons as compared to lean seasons…it needs little emphasis to say that the airlines may increase or decrease its air fare…in a particular season or occasion keeping in view the feasibility and financial viability of its air flight… (but) the airlines are expected to follow and adhere to the principles of reasonableness and fairness while fixing the air fare on any particular route.”
14/03/20 Indian Express
To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

0 comments:

Post a Comment