Dharamsala forum orders travel portal to refund flyer, pay ₹20,000 relief

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Dharamsala, has directed an online travel agency to refund Rs 5,251 to a customer along with 9% annual interest, after it failed to return the amount for a cancelled flight. The forum also ordered the agency to pay Rs 10,000 for mental agony and Rs 10,000 towards litigation costs.

The order was issued by a bench comprising Chairman Hemanshu Mishra and Members Aarti Sood and Narayan Thakur. According to case details, the complainant had booked a Pune–Delhi flight for May 13, 2023, via the agency’s website and paid Rs 5,251 on April 26, 2023. Before the journey, the airline announced cancellation of all flights until May 19, 2023, due to operational reasons and assured passengers of refunds. However, the complainant neither received the refund nor any response from the agency, leading to mental distress as he was unable to visit his village and meet his parents.

In its defence, the travel agency stated that the airline had gone bankrupt and a refund claim had been filed before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), asserting it was only an intermediary.

Rejecting the plea, the forum ruled that since the ticket was booked and paid through the agency, a direct contractual relationship existed between the consumer and the portal. The agency’s failure to process the refund amounted to deficiency in service.

The forum further emphasised that online travel portals cannot escape liability by blaming airline insolvency and must ensure consumer funds are protected and refunded promptly.

Himachal Tribune