Air India order to refund cancellation charge for cancellation during Covid lockdown

1 Nov 2022 , 09:22 AM

The trip from Bengaluru to London was cancelled due to the COVID-19 lockdown, and the Second Additional District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Bengaluru has ordered Air India to pay the customer Rs44,029 in connection with the cancellation.

The airlines took Rs44,029 as a “cancellation charge” from the passenger Milin Jagdishbhai Parekh’s return of the Rs1,35,143 ticket purchase.

It was also mandated that the Rs5,000 “incidental charge” that was subtracted be repaid within 45 days.

Parekh, who initially submitted his complaint in March 2020, fought for two years before the Commission finally issued its most recent order.

In April of 2020, Parekh was scheduled to depart from Bengaluru for a journey to London. However, the COVID-19 lockdown, which forbade all international flights, was implemented in March of that year.

His reservation for an Air India ticket through the online travel agency MakeMyTrip was also cancelled. Parekh’s efforts to contact the airlines also failed, and the booking website was unable to help. As a result, he complained to the Commission.

The airlines chose not to take the matter, and the Commission issued an ex-parte order as a result.

The Commission noted that the airlines had given Parekh an alternative ticket on another route before September 30, 2020, citing the fact that he had been listed as a “no-show,” which means he had failed to show up for the flight.

The Commission stated that because the flight prohibition resulting from COVID was well-known, Air India could not consider the customer a “no-show” and deduct cancellation fees.

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