Journalism of Courage
Man misses flight over ‘incomplete’ terminal update, wins Rs 60,000 from airline
The Raipur District Consumer Commission noted that although airline had advanced flight by 15 minutes, it had failed to clearly communicate correct departure terminal, which directly resulted in complainant missing the flight.
The Raipur District Consumer Commission was dealing with a plea of a man seeking compensation for his missed flight. (AI-generated Image)
A District Consumer Commission in Raipur held a private airline liable for deficiency in service after its ticket and flight update allegedly failed to specify the correct departure terminal, causing a passenger to miss his flight and spend the night at the airport with his family.
President Dakeshwar Prasad Sharma and members Nirupma Pradhan and Anil Kumar Agnihotri directed the airline to pay Rs 50,000 as compensation, along with Rs 5,000 each for mental agony and litigation costs.
“From the documents placed on record, it is clearly established that the airline had rescheduled the flight 15 minutes earlier. However, it failed to mention the departure terminal. Consequently, the complainant, acting on the information available to him, reached Terminal 3. Since Terminal 1D was approximately 7.5 kilometres away from Terminal 3, he could not reach the correct terminal 45 minutes before the scheduled departure, as required for check-in,” the commission said on July 21.
The bench noted that this situation arose solely because the opposite party failed to provide the correct information regarding the departure terminal. This clearly amounts to a deficiency in service and an unfair trade practice.
The order underlined that the evidence on record establishes that, due to the negligence of the airline, the complainant missed his scheduled flight, and as a result, he was compelled to incur additional expenditure by purchasing fresh air tickets for travel on the following day.
Terminal ‘confusion’
The complainant booked a private airline flight from Delhi to Raipur for himself and his family for travel on March 31, 2015, paying Rs 13,161 for the tickets. Before departure, the airline informed him through an SMS that the flight timing had been advanced from 5.50 pm to 5.35 pm. However, neither the SMS nor the ticket mentioned that the flight would depart from Terminal 1D.
Believing that the return flight would operate from Terminal 3, where his incoming flight had arrived, the complainant reached Terminal 3 an hour before departure. He was then informed that the flight was leaving from Terminal 1D, around 7.5 kilometres away.
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As he could not reach the correct terminal before check-in closed, he missed the flight and had to spend the night at the airport with his family. The next day, he purchased fresh tickets worth Rs 21,135 to travel to Raipur.
After the airline rejected his legal notice, claiming he had reported late for check-in, the complainant approached the district consumer commission, alleging a deficiency in service and an unfair trade practice. He sought reimbursement of his losses, compensation for mental agony, and litigation costs.
‘Late check-in’
The airline and the travel agency did not appear before the consumer commission and did not file any written statement, affidavit, or evidence in the proceedings. However, in its reply to the complainant’s legal notice, the airline maintained that the complainant had reported late for check-in.
It stated that the flight was rescheduled to 5.35 pm, the complainant checked in at 4.49 pm, and, as the check-in counter closes 45 minutes before departure, he was rightly denied boarding in accordance with its rules.
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The commission observed that it was undisputed that the complainant had booked a flight for travel from Delhi to Raipur and that the airline had rescheduled the flight from 5.50 pm to 5.35 pm. It noted that while the airline had informed the complainant about the revised departure time through an SMS, the message did not mention the departure terminal.
Correct terminal never communicated: Order
The commission accepted the complainant’s explanation that, since his incoming flight had arrived at Terminal 3, he reasonably proceeded to the same terminal for the return journey. It found that he learnt only at Terminal 3 that the flight was departing from Terminal 1D, situated about 7.5 km away, making it impossible for him to reach the correct terminal before the 45-minute check-in deadline.
The order further noted that the complainant had sought CCTV footage to establish that he had reached the airport in time, but the airline failed to provide it. It also observed that although the airline had advanced the flight by 15 minutes, it had failed to clearly communicate the correct departure terminal, which directly resulted in the complainant missing the flight.
Takeaway
This ruling underscores that airlines have a duty to provide complete and accurate travel information, including departure terminals, especially when flight schedules change. It affirms that failure to communicate such critical details can amount to a deficiency in service, making airlines liable for passengers’ financial losses and the inconvenience caused by missed flights.
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Consumers facing similar grievances may contact the consumer helpline in their respective states (Chhattisgarh helpline: 1800-233-3663) or dial the National Consumer Helpline at 1915 for assistance.
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