Air Your Grievances, Settle Out Of Court
Traveling by the fastest mode, that is the norm of modern day. But how often is travel by various airlines satisfying in all respects? Does a traveller have access to basic amenities when stranded at the airport, waiting for a flight which is often delayed? Is the airport clean with sufficient comfortable seats to accommodate all of the waiting passengers? Or are you lucky enough to get hold of a trolley to carry your baggage inside the airport? How about the quality of service and food during the flight?
There are many problems associated with air travel and if you wonder how to find a solution, remember that this is a service industry and you pay a hefty price by way of ticket cost and various service charges. Hence, any default or lapse in service can be taken to the consumer courts for compensation. However, there are instances where you, if aware of your rights can get the issue settled by simply highlighting the drawback in front of the related authorities. But how does one go about lodging complaints and to whom should it be addressed?
If amenities at the airport are lacking, try solving the problem by first making an oral complaint and if necessary in writing before the airport manager. The complaint can also be made before the duty officer from Airport Authority of India (AAI) who is also responsible for the amenities at the airport. Failing a response, the next step would be to approach the manager of AAI at the airport.
If all these efforts do not evoke the right response you can try following the example of M R Pai. Pai, an advocate of Consumers Rights could not get a trolley to carry his baggage at Santa Cruz airport, Mumbai on 213 different occasions. All the trolleys were monopolised by unauthorised people who held the passengers to ransom when they alighted from the vehicles to go into the terminal. Each time Pai sought intervention from the AAI staff at the airport and managed to secure a trolley.
Finally, Pai wrote a complaint letter to the chairman, AAI sending a copy to the manager, AAI at Santa Cruz airport. The letter mentioned the dates on which he could not get a trolley and had to seek intervention of the
AAI staff. In the letter, Pai also indicated that the AAI and its concerned staff could be prosecuted under consumer protection Act for this deficiency in service since passengers pay a service charge for the same. The letter speeded the response of the authorities and trolleys were made available to passengers.
Very often even the in-flight service leaves much to be desired. If you find the service is anything but prompt and courteous, toilets are not clean, food served is sub-standard or contains a foreign element, bring the problem to the immediate notice of the flight pursers and also enter it in the complaint card available with him.
In case of a cold response, the complaint may be taken up with the duty officer or airport manager on reaching the destination. If they are also not responsive and if the deficiency in service is serious enough to need corrective measures in the interest of the passengers at large, one can approach the district fora or commissions established under consumer protection Act.
In one case, the Delhi district forum had awarded compensation to a lady passenger for damage to her saree caused by a defective seat. In another instance, a passenger was successful in getting compensation for the trauma caused by the presence of a metal wire in his food.
Unfortunately, the network of Airlines in India do not have a sound system of grievance redressal. Still one can make his/her suggestion or complaint to the duty officer or airport manager. If necessary, one can also approach the managing director of the airlines and/or the director general of civil aviation at Delhi. If satisfactory response is not forthcoming from any quarter, then before you approach the consumer courts you can complain to the directorate of public grievances in the cabinet secretariat can be approached at Sardar Patel Bhawan (2nd floor), Sansad Marg, New Delhi - 110 001.
(Lalita Kulkarni, director consumer education, Mumbai Grahak Panchayat)