Jet Airways asked to pay compensation to flyer

The Thane District Consumer Forum has ordered Jet Airways to compensate a flyer for failing to provide services under one of its promotional schemes.
Forum President Sneha S Mhatre and member N D Kadam, in their order delivered on July 26, directed the airline to pay Rs 6,500 to Tejas Oak, a resident of Badlapur here, for failing to provide him benefit under the ICICI-Jet Airways Credit Card Scheme.
Oak told the forum that he had availed the scheme in November, 2013, and as per terms and condition, he was to receive 10,000 Jet Privilege points within 30 days from the date of buying the scheme.

The complainant said despite his reminders to Jet Airways, the bonus points were never credited to his account, nor was he provided with code number for future travel through the airline.
Oak said he had booked a two-way tickets to Delhi on Jet Airlways on May 4, 2014 and purchased it from his pocket. The airline credited 10,000 JP Miles (points) in his account on May 8 and was informed by the authority concerned in June, which resulted in loss of benefit of the scheme.
Jet Airways's counsel told the forum that the complaint did not fall under the purview of consumer forum and that the complainant was not consumer of the airlines.

The counsel also argued that the complainant had not made Jet Privilege, the loyalty and rewards management arm of the airlines, as the respondent, and hence, the case needs to be dismissed.

The forum, while dismissing the airline's submission, relied on the conditions listed in the agreement between the complainant and the airline.
It referred to the conditions as mentioned in the card which stated that bonus JP Miles will be credited to customer's Jet Privilege account once enrolled and that he/she will also receive a complimentary economy class base fare waived air ticket for any domestic route journey with their two flight services - Jet Airways and JetKonnect.

Hence, the airline was liable to pay the complainant compensation for ticket fare and other expenses, the forum observed.