Air passengers made to travel by road, airline told to pay up

The complainant, Surya Kant Jain, said he had purchased a return ticket from Chandigarh to Kolkata through the internet in January. He paid a total amount of Rs 12,300.

On the return trip, the complainant reached the Kolkata airport around 10.30 am and had to wait for five hours for the flight. He alleged that the airline officials did not even inform him of the reason for delay. Jain said he had to face unnecessary harassment as he was not provided any facilities on the airport.

Finally, the flight landed at the Delhi airport, rather than Chandigarh, around 10 pm. Upon inquiry, the authorities did not give Jain a satisfactory answer, he said.

The complainant then asked the airline to make arrangements for an alternate flight to Chandigarh, which they flatly refused to do.

Finally, the protests ended in they being provided with an ordinary bus to take them to Chandigarh around midnight. The complainant then reached Chandigarh in the morning the next day.

later, he moved the consumer forum. When notices were issued to the airline, no one appeared on their behalf.

The forum ruled there is a gross deficiency on part of the airline to first delay the flight and then not provide any alternative arrangement for travel.