THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC) has ordered Air India to pay Rs 1.5 lakh each to three MBBS students as compensation for flight delay. The students were studying in China.
The three students - Keerthana Ravi, Gopika and Aparna Babu - had booked tickets for travel on August 24, 2016, from Thiruvananthapuram to Chennai in an Air India flight. From there, they had to travel on connection flights to Kolkata and then to China.
The students said they came to know about the flight delay only after reaching the Thiruvananthapuram Airport. If the delay was informed earlier, they would have postponed the journey. Due to the irresponsible act of the airline, they could not attend important classes till September 1, 2016. The scheduled time was 13.15 hours and it was delayed by 1.35 hours. Eventually, they returned to Thiruvananthapuram.
According to the airline, two of the complainants purchased tickets online, from IBIBO. The schedule change was finalised at 19 hours on August 23 and SMSs were sent to them. Only one person could be reached by the call centre on the phone and the information was communicated. The third complainant booked a ticket through an IATA agent and only the agent’s number was available. Though the centre called on this number there was no response. Refund was given to two complainants and the third complainant’s agent failed to refund the ticket.
The commission found there was gross deficiency in service on the part of the opposite party in not giving prior intimation to the complainants on the delay in the time of journey. The airline could not produce evidence for giving intimation. Besides compensation, the commission asked the airline to give `5,000 as costs to the complainants.