Pune: The District Consumer Forum has ordered Jet Airways to refund the fare of Rs 10,190 fare and also pay Rs 25,000 compensation to a senior citizen who was forced to buy ticket of another flight after Jet Airways had preponed the timing of the Pune-Srinagar flight. Later they had refused to refund the fare.
Nautej Singh of Camp had filed the complaint with the Additional District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum in February this year. He is originally from Kashmir and used to visit Srinagar frequently.
Complainant’s case
On February 27, 2016, the complainant booked a 7.35 am flight from Pune to Delhi for June 15, 2016. From Delhi, he had a connecting flight to Srinagar at 10.30 am. The booking was confirmed by Jet Airways for the ticket of Rs 18,225, but as the complainant is a regular customer of the airline, he got the ticket at a discounted rate of Rs 14,249. On March 9, 2016, and on May 12, 2016, Singh received a reconfirmation message from the airline wherein it was mentioned that there a was a slight modification to his next flight from Delhi to Srinagar. When complainant asked for clarification regarding the changes, he was told on May 25, 2016, that his flight from Pune to Delhi has been changed and the complainant was asked to travel by the 5.30 am flight.
As it was not possible for the complainant to reach to the airport two hours prior to departure, ie at 3.30 am, he asked the airline to accommodate him in another flight but his request was refused. The complainant booked a flight with another airline from Pune to Srinagar at a higher cost (Rs 10,190).
Jet Airways version before the forum
“The rescheduling of the flight timings does not amount to deficiency in service. The ticket of the complainant from Pune to Delhi and from Delhi to Srinagar was kept open for utilisation and an option was given to the complainant to claim a refund of the airfare of the Pune-Delhi-Srinagar travel on pro-rata basis. As the flight from Delhi to Srinagar was at 10.30 am, reaching Delhi from Pune by the 9.40 am would not have been possible as he would’ve missed the second flight. Considering this aspect, he was given an earlier flight. This action does not fall within the ambit of deficiency in service and therefore, the opponent (Jet Airways) could not be held liable for any deficient service.”
Consumer Forum’s order
The forum’s presiding officer SJ Dunakhe and member Anil Jawalekar in their judgement on November 20 held Jet Airways responsible for deficiency in service. “It is an admitted fact that the travellers have to reach the airport two hours before the scheduled time of the flight for security checking and other procedural aspects. As such, considering the flight at 5.30 am the complainant would have had to reach the airport at 3.30 am which is very difficult for any senior citizen like the complainant. He had booked the flights four months back and he was told about the change in timings 20 days before the scheduled date. It was the duty of the opponent (Jet Airways) to inform him earlier about the change in schedule. When complainant booked another flight, then the opponent offered him the same flight as he had booked earlier. All these activities of the opponent are nothing but the deficiency in service,” the judgement stated.
