State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission Chandigarh fines approximately Rs. 70 lacs to airlines and travel agency
February 5, 2020 (Airportchandigarh.com): On 29-01-2020 State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission Chandigarh in a judgment fined approximately Rs. 70 lacs to airlines and travel agency to be paid to a passenger for causing harassment. (Case # 95 of 2019)
The complainant, a senior citizen suffered a great mental agony and physical harassment, due to the re-routing, cancellation of the confirmed flights by Lufthansa Airlines and British Airways, she was taken into custody of the Airport Police at Copenhagen (Denmark) because she was arbitrarily sent on the route, for which she was not having visa and even the transit visa was not provided to her.
An excerpt from the judgment reads as follows:
At the Copenhagen Airport, the complainant suffered shock, as the complainant was marched out of the aircraft by the local Border police, like criminals, as the complainant was not having visa for the said country. The complainant became confused and perplexed in the company of Border Police of Copenhagen. At that point of time, the complainant was lost, confused, disoriented and her mind went blank. The complainant was utterly befuddled. The complainant sobbed uncontrollably for long time. The complainant also faced difficulty in communicating with the Border Police officials at the Airport, as they were speaking their local language and were not even talking in English. Ultimately, the police officials called their interpreter to whom the complainant told the entire history that the complainant had boarded flight of Lufthansa Airlines/opposite party No.1 from San Francisco for New Delhi via Frankfurt.
That flight was cancelled for the reasons best known to the said Airline. The complainant was given re-routing tickets without explaining the travel route, but due to wrong rerouting, tickets given by the officials of Lufthansa Airlines at San Francisco; the complainant had landed in Copenhagen via Heathrow London by British Airways flight and had to reach New Delhi. Then the complainant was told that the complainant will be sent back to Heathrow, London on the flight of British Airways next morning. The complainant was taken into custody by border police and confined in the Airport as the authorities of British Airways or the Lufthansa airline did not make any arrangement for transit visa, meals, accommodation, communication and comfortable stay of the complainant, who happened to be 60 year aged lady with special disabilities like knee problem, hypertension and diabetes. The complainant felt shocked, harassed and remained under mental stress in the Airport, as the Airport was closed at night. No one was there, except the Border Police personnel. The complainant suffered a solitary confinement, without any meals and other facilities. The sufferings of an aged person, especially a lady, can be imagined in such circumstances. The police personnel kept a watch on their movement of the complainant like a criminal, even if the complainant had to go to attend the natural calls. The complainant was not even given drinking water nor was it available at night in the Airport, as all the shops were closed. During the entire night, at the Airport, the complainant leaned on the sides of the chair and could not sleep, resulting into further high blood pressure, headache, fatigue etc. The complainant could not even change her dress/clothings, as the baggage was not available to her at that point of time.
Parties fined were Lufthansa Airlines - Rs. 37.5 Lacs, British Airways - Rs. 27.5 Lacs, Surya Travel & Associates - Rs. 5 Lacs. Parts of the amounts are to be paid individually and jointly to the complainant.