A consumer forum directed Spice Jet Ltd. and ticket booking portal Make My Trip India Pvt. Ltd (MMTIPL) to partially refund airfare and pay compensation after it found evidence that tickets were cancelled without prior intimation.
The forum was dealing with a complaint filed by five complainants who had booked return tickets between Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam on March 21, 2015.
The complainants said they were scheduled to travel from Hyderabad to Visakhapatnam on May 7, 2015 and return on May 9, 2015. While they cancelled tickets from Hyderabad to Visakhapatnam, tickets for the return journey were unilaterally cancelled.
The MMTIPL contended it is only a ticket booking facilitator. It also stated that it was under the impression that the complainants had cancelled the tickets on their own accord.
While it received ₹4,860 from the airline as a ticket refund, it had paid ₹ 2,340 to the complainants. It said it is ready to pay the remaining amount.
The airline contended that a ‘summer schedule’ of flights came into effect in April 2015. It said it had informed the complainants of the change in flight schedule in advance. The airline also maintained that as per terms and conditions, it reserves the right to cancel or delay flights.
It said it was the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the Airports Authority of India which reschedules flights. It further stated that tickets were cancelled based on complainants request.
The Forum noted that out of the booking amount of ₹19,930, only a ‘meagre’ ₹ 4,930 was returned, the rest forfeited. It stated that withholding ₹15,000 ‘is unfair and unreasonable’ of the airline.
“It is not fair on the part of the opposite parties advising the complainants to reschedule their booking of tickets at the then prevailing rate. It shows without doubt that there is some commercial element involved in asking customers for rescheduling the flights at the then prevailing rates,” the Forum noted.
The forum ordered the MMTIPL to refund ₹2,390 and pay ₹3000 as compensation. It also ordered the airline to pay refund of the booking amount of ₹15,540 and pay ₹3,000 compensation along with costs of ₹5,000.