AI to pay Rs 45K for cancelling tickets at last moment

Air India has been directed by a consumer forum here to pay Rs 45,000 to a father-son duo for cancelling their tickets at the last moment without informing them and not providing any alternate arrangement.
The New Delhi District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum held the airline liable for paying the compensation, saying it was in the wrong for cancelling the tickets and not allowing them to board.
The forum also observed that due to this act of Air India, they had to buy two tickets on another airline at additional cost.
"We have considered the replies and found that opposite party 1 (Air India) is clearly in the wrong in cancellation of confirmed tickets and not allowing the complainant to board leading to purchase of two additional tickets by him besides inconvenience and difficulties faced by him at the airport by being kept waiting," a bench presided by C K Chaturvedi said.

The forum directed Air India to pay Delhi resident O P Gupta, Rs 8,000 as refund of the cancelled tickets along with Rs 7,040 which he jad spent extra for buying tickets on another airline and Rs 30,000 as compensation.
In his complaint, Gupta had said that he had confirmed return tickets for him and his son to travel from Mumbai to Delhi, but when they reached the airport they were not allowed to board the flight.

Despite an assurance to accommodate them on a later flight, Air India did not do so and kept them waiting at the airport, Gupta had alleged and added that as a result he had to buy tickets on another airline at a cost of Rs 15,040.

Later on, the agent of Air India, which was a party in the case and through which the tickets were bought, had informed Gupta that his ticket was cancelled by the airline at the airport itself.
The forum, while taking note of the agent's reply, observed that Air India in its reply had not explained how the tickets got cancelled automatically.