May 2012.
South Mumbai District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum
Complaint case: Saurabh Agarwal Vs Air India
Saurabh Agarwal, a resident of Cuffe Parade, had booked tickets for his family from Mumbai to Singapore and then a connecting flight from Singapore to Jakarta.
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| Air India, why do you harass your own customer? |
"After the booking of the tickets, there was a rescheduling of the airways. So the complainant received a message from the airlines' call centre in advance. Even after the rescheduling of the flight timings, there was a delay of three more hours in arrival of the flight. The airlines' representatives mentioned that since there was a delay in Chennai from where the plane was about to depart, the arrival was also delayed. Because of this delay, the complainant's family missed the connecting flight that they had to board from Singapore to Jakarta. When the complainant approached the company seeking a solution for the issue, the representatives failed to entertain the grievance and the complainant had to buy new tickets from Singapore to Jakarta," read the complaint.
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| "Our staff was on strike that day" was the excuse given by Air India. |
The complainant then approached the forum and filed a complaint against the airlines. The forum, after hearing the consumer's grievance, asked the company to file its reply.
The company, in its reply, claimed the delay was caused due to the industrial unrest, as the pilots had observed a strike a week before the incident. The airlines also claimed that it cannot be held responsible for the loss of money that the complainant had to face, because of his journey from some other airlines company.
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| Air India CMD |
December 2015.
The south Mumbai district consumer dispute redressal forum pulled up the national carrier Air India (AI) for providing negligent services to one of its consumers. Penalising the airlines, the forum asked it to pay an amount of Rs 20,000 towards mental agony of the passenger and an amount of Rs 23,000 for the complainant's extra expense towards the airfare.
After going through the evidence brought in record, the forum held it was the duty of the company to ensure that its consumers received promised services. The forum further held that since there was a delay in the first flight, the complainant missed out on his connecting flight, which caused him and his family mental agony as well as monetary loss. Hence, the airlines was penalised.
Moral of the story : Consumers, be aware of your rights. Fight for it where necessary.
Airlines, do not take customers' services lightly. Do not give such excuses as staff strikes, unrest, etc. in courts.