The Hindu : National : Indian fined for offloading passenger

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Thursday, Jan 10, 2008
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Indian fined for offloading passenger

New Delhi: Slamming airlines for overbooking seats, the Delhi Consumer Commission has directed Indian Airlines (now Indian) to shell out Rs.40,000 to a passenger who was grounded despite his having a confirmed ticket.

“Offloading a passenger with a confirmed ticket due to overbooking is a highly unfair trade practice, and not part of the contract.” It amounted to misrepresentation of the right of a passenger, commission president Justice J.D. Kapoor said on Monday.

The commission said the practice of overbooking was “playing havoc” with consumers. It caused them mental agony and trauma and the airlines was required to compensate them adequately.

The commission dismissed the air carrier’s plea that as a number of passengers did not turn up for the booked flight, overbooking was adopted all over the world for maximum utilisation of seats.

In the present case, D.G. Sangal of Faridabad booked his journey for January 14, 2003 to Dubai but he was denied a seat on the ground that boarding passes had already exhausted.

Mr. Sangal claimed damages for his mental agony and harassment, saying he missed his connecting flight to Cairo and his itinerary was thrown into disarray. — PTI

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