Man denied boarding over name mismatch, airline, travel company told to pay Rs 78,920

The complainant alleged that the airline denied boarding over name discrepancy. (Image generated using AI)

A Bengaluru consumer commission recently directed a travel company and an airline to jointly pay Rs 78,920 to a passenger who was denied boarding on a return flight from Newark to Delhi over an alleged discrepancy in his name.

A bench comprising in-charge President V Anuradha and members H Janardhan and Sharavathi S M observed that the act of the opposite parties in withholding the refund amounted to deficiency in service and unfair trade practice.

“…while the same ticket, same PNR, same passenger’s, with just a date change cleared immigration and went to the US on 8/6/2024 from Delhi with the same ticket, one of them was denied boarding in the return because of an internal error in the opposite party no 2 (airline) counter’s guest list that clearly a wrong name entry. Thereby, the act of the opposite party amounts to clear deficiency in service,” the order read.

Boarding denied

The complainant stated that she had booked round-trip tickets through a travel portal for her parents to travel between Delhi and Newark. The complainant’s father, who the commission noted was a senior citizen with medical conditions and wheelchair-bound, was denied boarding at Newark Airport on the return journey. Airline staff allegedly cited a discrepancy in his name on the guest list. They were subsequently forced to purchase another ticket at the airline counter for Rs 71,241.

Following the incident, the complainant sought a refund of the additional ticket cost. According to the complainant, the airline and travel company agreed to refund the amount in two parts- Rs 65,920 towards the ticket price and Rs 5,321 as the fare difference. It was alleged that despite repeated follow ups, the complainant didn’t receive the refund.

The travel company denied the allegations and argued that it had processed Rs 65,490 after deducting a convenience fee and that the amount had been credited to the complainant’s wallet after the bank transfer failed. It claimed that a link was subsequently sent to obtain bank details for processing the refund. It further stated that the complainant’s father was denied boarding by the airline and that their claim for compensation is not applicable to the company as it merely acts as a facilitator to enable booking of flight tickets.

The airline also denied the allegations and said that the boarding denial followed a system alert over a mismatch in the passenger’s name and relied on its policy requiring international passengers’ names to match their identification documents. It said that it had no control over the manner in which the complainant names were entered. It also said that a full refund had been approved and that the complainant was advised to contact the travel agency to claim refund.

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The commission said the documents showed that both opposite parties had agreed to refund but had failed to actually return the amount. It held that withholding the amount despite the assurance of refund amounted to deficiency in service and unfair trade practice.

The commission accordingly partly allowed the complaint and directed the two opposite parties to refund Rs 65,920 besides paying Rs 10,000 compensation and Rs 3,000 litigation costs.

Takeaway

Airlines and travel agencies must ensure that refunds are promptly processed once they have agreed to do so. Failure to return the promised refund amounts to deficiency in service and unfair trade practice.

For consumer-related grievances, individuals may contact the consumer helpline in their respective states and Union territories (Karnataka: 1800-425-9339) or call the National Consumer Helpline at 1915 for assistance.

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Ashish Shaji is a Senior Sub-Editor at The Indian Express (Digital), where he specialises in legal journalism. Combining a formal education in law with years of editorial experience, Ashish covers court developments and key cases for the audience. Expertise Ashish is a law graduate (BA LLB) from IME Law College, CCSU. His work at The Indian Express focuses on translating the often-dense proceedings of courts into clear, legal content. He also runs liveblogs from the Supreme Court and various High Courts. Industry Experience: With over 5 years in the field, Ashish has contributed to several niche legal and professional platforms, honing his ability to communicate complex information. His previous experience includes: Lawsikho: Gaining insights into legal education and practical law. Verdictum: Focusing on high-quality legal news and court updates. Enterslice: Working at the intersection of legal, financial, and advisory services. ... Read More