BELAGAVI: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has ordered SpiceJet airlines to pay a penalty and refund an airfare amount of 10,927 INR along with a 9% annual interest to a passenger over deficiency of service and issuing a faulty ticket.
The complaint was filed by Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) Iranna Kadadi. According to the court details, the MP had purchased flight tickets to travel from Delhi to Bengaluru on October 9, 2020, and from Bengaluru to Delhi on November 9, 2020.
Denied Refund Over ‘Coupon’ Status
The issue arose when Mr. Kadadi submitted the air tickets to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat for a routine travel reimbursement. The competent authority rejected his claim, stating that the tickets could not be reimbursed because they were classified as “coupon tickets.”
Realizing that the airline had issued a flawed and problematic ticket, which caused him significant mental agony, inconvenience, and financial hurdles, the Member of Parliament approached the Belagavi District Consumer Forum to seek compensation for the deficiency in service.
Co-Respondent’s Defense
Upon taking up the case, the commission issued formal notices to both SpiceJet and the travel booking platform, EaseMyTrip.
While SpiceJet initially failed to appear before the commission—prompting an initial order against them—the airline later represented itself through a legal counsel.
Meanwhile, EaseMyTrip argued its defense by stating that it had merely acted as an intermediary booking platform and was not responsible for any inherent deficiency in the airline’s service or the technical classification of the ticket.
The Judgment
After a thorough examination of the case arguments, the President of the District Consumer Forum, Mahantesh Shigli, along with member Girish Gowda Patil, ruled in favor of the complainant.
The commission noted that by issuing a faulty ticket, the airline committed a clear deficiency of service and negligence that directly harmed the consumer.
In a verdict delivered on June 3, the court ordered SpiceJet to refund the ticket cost of 10,927 INR with 9% interest per annum, calculated from November 9, 2020, until the full realization of the amount.
