Last week, the consumer forum directed GoAir which is an Indian low-cost carrier to pay the sum of more than Rs 98,000 as compensation to a Vile Parle inhabitant for cancelling the tickets of 2015 flight without any reason.
GoAir had cancelled 25 tickets booked by Jayesh Pandeya for Rs 50,00 ‘without any reason’.
The sufferer of this inconvenience was Vile Parle inhabitant, Jayesh Pandya. He booked around 25 tickets for guests from Ahmedabad in order to join his daughter’s wedding which was happing in Mumbai. He booked the tickets in advance in previous year that is on May 2014, for which he spent almost RS. 50,000. The tickets were book for flying his guests from Ahmedabad to Mumbai on 17th February 2015.
Jayesh Pandya said to the consumer forum, “I had made the wedding pooja arrangements based on the flight timings. In January 2015, I contacted the airlines to submit the passengers’ names. They, then, informed me the flight was cancelled. They offered no reasons,”
As the tickets were cancelled, Jayesh Pandya then bought another 24 tickets for their guests from another airline for Rs 88,816.
GoAir, when communicated, did not gave any statement on this matter, saying the judgment was already out in this incident.
Jayesh also in February 2015 wrote not once but twice to GoAir for seeking repayment or compensation for his expenditures.
In reply, they provided him a credit voucher of worth Rs 3,000 and informed him that the repayment is in processed and will get the amount soon. Though, from then he did not hear from GoAir.
Pandya then filed a RTI (Right to Information) enquiry with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation about the change in schedule of GoAir flight on 17th February 2015. He then found out that there were no fluctuations in timings. Pandya then move toward the consumer forum in the month of November in 2016.
However, GoAir told the consumer forum that as per DGCA’s winter schedule the flight timings had been altered on 6th September 2014.
On the other hand, the forum found out that the RTI response from DGCA was dissimilar from the claims of GoAir and alleged that the airline made an incorrect proposal. Also, the airline claims that they have already communicated Pandya earlier through an email about the cancellation of tickets, but the forum did not get any proof regarding their claim. GoAir, though, submitted copies of emails from March 2015 imitating repayment conversation but could not convince the forum as the evidence was not strong.
The forum then took their decision and directed the airline to compensate Jayesh Pandya Rs 50,000 for the tickets he booked earlier from them and Rs 38,816 for the additional amount Pandya funded for Vistara airlines as well Rs 10,000 as an extra added compensation.
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