Airline denied woman travel after issuing boarding pass, ordered to pay Rs 35,000

The airline denied deficiency in service and relied on its booking records, saying the complainant had failed to report at the boarding gate on time. (AI-generated Image)

The Raipur District Consumer Commission has directed a private airline to pay Rs 25,000 compensation to a woman who was denied boarding despite holding a valid boarding pass. The commission held that the airline failed to establish that she had been adequately informed to reach the boarding gate, amounting to a deficiency in service and unfair trade practice.

A bench of president Dakeshwar Prasad Sharma and members Nirupma Pradhan and Anil Kumar Agnihotri also awarded Rs 10,000 towards legal costs to a passenger.

“When the complainant reached the airport at the scheduled time and had already obtained the boarding pass, there was no reason for her not to have reached the designated gate for boarding. Therefore, the defence of the opposite party- the airline that the complainant had been repeatedly informed to report at the boarding gate but reached there only after the aircraft had departed is not tenable. Accordingly, the opposite party deprived the complainant of air travel even after issuing her a boarding pass, which clearly amounts to deficiency in service and unfair trade practice,” the September 21 order said.

It rejected the airline’s defence that the complainant had failed to report at the boarding gate in time. Although Indigo relied on records showing that she allegedly reached the gate at 3.45 pm, the commission noted that the document did not explain how or through which mode the complainant was allegedly informed to report at the gate.

Denied boarding despite boarding pass

The complainant booked a private airline flight from Bengaluru to Raipur for August 30, 2015, through a travel booking web portal, paying Rs 5,929. She reached Bengaluru airport at about 1.30 pm, checked in, and obtained a valid boarding pass. However, despite being present at the airport, she was not allowed to board the flight.

The complainant claimed that she reached the airport well before the scheduled departure and remained there until around 4 pm, but was not allowed to board.

She alleged that the airline staff treated her improperly and failed to make arrangements for her return to Raipur. She said the incident caused financial and mental distress and prevented her from attending an important business meeting.

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She later approached the consumer commission, alleging deficiency in service and unfair trade practice and seeking Rs 1 lakh as compensation for financial and mental distress.

She reached gate after flight departure: Airline

The airline denied deficiency in service and relied on its booking records, saying the complainant had checked in and received her boarding pass at 2.42 pm but failed to report at the boarding gate in time.
It maintained that she reached the gate at 3.45 pm, after the aircraft had departed.

The airline said she was therefore correctly marked as a “no-show” and argued that its conditions of carriage required passengers to be present at the boarding gate within the prescribed time.

The travel booking portal argued that it had only facilitated the online booking of the ticket. It said that once the ticket was issued, the passenger’s subsequent interactions at the airport were with the airline and airport authorities, over which the portal had no control. Therefore, it denied liability for the alleged loss or deficiency in service.

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No proof of boarding calls: Order

The commission found that the complainant had a valid boarding pass for the flight and had reached the airport well before the scheduled departure.

It held that once the complainant had reached the airport at the prescribed time and obtained a boarding pass, there was no apparent reason for her not to reach the designated gate. Therefore, Indigo’s defence that she arrived at the gate only after the aircraft had departed was not accepted.

“The contention that the complainant was informed several times has been made, but the said document contains no details as to the manner or means by which she was informed, nor does it mention the complainant’s phone number. Therefore, the document does not establish that any call was made to the complainant’s phone number asking her to come to the departure gate for boarding the aircraft,” the order stated.

At the same time, it held that the airport terminal manager and travel booking portal were not liable, as they had no direct role in the decision to permit or deny boarding on the flight.

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Takeaway

The judgment underscored that airlines must ensure passengers holding valid boarding passes are not denied travel without adequate proof of communication. It reinforces consumer protection against arbitrary denial of boarding and holds airlines accountable for deficient service and unfair trade practices.

Consumers facing similar grievances may contact the consumer helpline in their respective states (Chhattisgarh helpline: 1800-233-3663) or dial the National Consumer Helpline at 1915 for assistance.

Jagriti Rai works with The Indian Express (Digital), where she writes from the vital intersection of law, gender, and society. Working on a dedicated legal desk, she focuses on translating complex legal frameworks into relatable narratives, exploring how the judiciary and legislative shifts empower and shape the consciousness of citizens in their daily lives. Expertise Socio-Legal Specialization: Jagriti brings a critical, human-centric perspective to modern social debates. Her work focuses on how legal developments impact gender rights, marginalized communities, and individual liberties. Diverse Editorial Background: With over 4 years of experience in digital and mainstream media, she has developed a versatile reporting style. Her previous tenures at high-traffic platforms like The Lallantop and Dainik Bhaskar provided her with deep insights into the information needs of a diverse Indian audience. Academic Foundations: Post-Graduate in Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), India’s premier media training institute. Master of Arts in Ancient History from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), providing her with the historical and cultural context necessary to analyze long-standing social structures and legal evolutions. ... Read More