A family of three, who were denied boarding on a flight to the US at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) due to a payment issue flagged without prior notice, has won ₹1.2 lakh in compensation. A consumer court in Bengaluru ruled against British Airways and Gurgaon-based travel agency CheapOair, holding them responsible for the family’s ordeal.
Ticket Suspension Causes Travel Chaos
Gopal Ramachandraiah, a 42-year-old resident of Kodihalli, had booked three round-trip tickets to Denver, Colorado, with a layover in London, for himself, his wife, and their two-and-a-half-year-old daughter. The tickets, purchased via CheapOair on August 28, 2022, cost him over ₹3 lakh, paid via credit card.
However, on September 27, 2022, upon arriving at KIA Bengaluru, the family was stopped at the check-in counter. Airline staff informed them that their tickets had been suspended due to a flagged payment issue, despite the amount being deducted from Gopal’s credit card without any prior alert.
Airline and Travel Agency Blame Game
Faced with an urgent business trip, Gopal approached senior officials at British Airways, only to be redirected to CheapOair. With no immediate resolution, he was forced to purchase new tickets from Lufthansa the next day from Mumbai, costing him ₹3.6 lakh.
Frustrated by the financial loss and distress, Gopal sent a legal notice on June 30, 2023, to both the airline and the travel agency. With no response from CheapOair, he filed a complaint with the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Bengaluru (Urban), on August 22, 2023.
Consumer Court Holds Airline and Travel Agency Accountable
While British Airways submitted a response, the travel agency failed to appear before the court. The airline claimed the tickets were suspended due to a payment flag linked to a previous booking and stated that the family was offered the option to repurchase the tickets via cash or in-person card payment, which they declined. The airline also contended that a full refund was processed on August 28, 2023, and argued that since the trip was for business, consumer protection laws did not apply.
However, the commission, after reviewing emails and payment records, concluded that the travel agency was aware of the suspension but failed to inform Gopal, leaving the family stranded at the airport. It further ruled that the airline also failed in its responsibility to notify passengers in a timely manner, resulting in undue distress and financial loss.
Compensation and Court Order
The consumer court found both British Airways and CheapOair guilty of negligence and ordered them to:
- Pay ₹1.2 lakh in compensation for the mental distress, inconvenience, and harassment caused.
- Reimburse ₹3 lakh with 8% interest from August 28, 2022, to August 28, 2023 to cover financial losses.
The ruling reinforces consumer rights and holds airlines and travel agencies accountable for unjustified disruptions and lack of communication in ticketing matters.
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