Elderly couple hassled, forum makes Air India pay for seat error

Ludhiana: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has ordered Air India to pay a composite compensation of Rs 7,000 to an elderly couple from Ludhiana for deficiency in service. Despite paying for special seats that they had bought in view of their old age and health condition, the couple were made to travel on different seats on a flight from New Jersey to New Delhi.
The commission comprising its president K K Kareer and member Jaswinder Singh ordered the Air India to pay Rs7000 as composite cost and compensation to the complainants Ashok Kumar Arora and his wife Vanita Arora of Dugri phase-II.


In their complaint to the commission on May 2, 2019, 73-year-old Ashok Kumar and 65-year-old Vanita Arora said they had purchased air tickets for New Jersey (USA) from New Delhi and New Jersey to New Delhi from AirNet Travels Cargo Private Limited, Feroze Gandhi Market, Ludhiana.
The complainants had paid an extra Rs 2,547 each as premium for pre-reserved seat No. 18-A and 18-B on both the flights. The wheelchair was to be provided at the time of boarding and landing, but as promised, the same were not supplied to the complainants.
It is further alleged in the complaint that during their return flight from New Jersey to New Delhi via Mumbai, their seats were changed to seat No. 51-H and 51-J, which were at the back of the plane.
The complainants had objected saying that they have paid extra premium for reserving seats No.18-A and 18-B, but to no avail. Due to change of seats, Ashok and Vanita suffered mental pain and agony.
Emails were sent to the opposite party on January 16, 2019, February 6, 2019, and February 20, 2019, but the company did not respond to the mails. A legal notice was served to the opposite party on March 19, 2019 which too failed to evoke a positive response. In the end, the couple moved the consumer forum and requested a compensation of Rs 60,000 along with interest at the rate 18% per annum and litigation expenses of Rs 22,000.
In the written statement, the complainant said during their return flight from Newark to New Delhi via Mumbai on January 15, 2019, they were not allotted the same seats for which they had paid a sum of Rs 1,050 and Rs 1,081 extra from Mumbai to New Delhi.
Air India admitted that due to some system error, one of the reserved seats was allotted to somebody else, therefore, the seat of the complainants had to be changed.
The commission said it is not further disputed that the complainants were made to travel on a different seat, which were not in a front row where the boot space is extra and comfortable for which the complainant had paid extra money also.
The commissioner observed that in the given circumstances, it definitely amounts to deficiency of service on the part of the opposite party as the complainants were put to inconvenience due to some error in the system of allotment of seats.
The commission held, “In the given circumstances, in our considered view, it would be just and proper if the opposite party is made to pay a composite costs and compensation of Rs 7,000 to the complainants.”