Hyderabad consumer panel orders Air Travel to refund ₹1lakh over denied US flight boarding
HYDERABAD: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-III, Hyderabad, has directed a city-based travel agency to refund ₹1,02,616 with 9% annual interest to a retired employee who was denied boarding for a British Airways flight to the United States in March 2020.
The commission, in its May 1, 2026 order, also directed Air Travel Enterprises India Ltd. to pay ₹25,000 as compensation for mental agony and ₹10,000 towards litigation costs.
The complainant, Ch. Ambika Devi, a retired employee residing in Domalguda, Hyderabad, had booked an international air ticket from Hyderabad to St. Louis, USA, for travel on March 19, 2020. The ticket was purchased through the opposite party for ₹1,02,616.
According to the complaint, Ambika Devi reached the airport on time but was denied boarding at the British Airways check-in counter despite carrying valid travel documents. The airline and the travel company allegedly failed to provide any reason for the denial.
The commission noted that the complainant later travelled to the US on fresh tickets purchased in November 2020 and March 2022 by paying full fare again, resulting in financial loss.
Travel firm cited COVID-19 disruptions and airline policy
The travel company argued that it merely acted as an intermediary and had no authority over boarding decisions or airline refund policies. It said the ticket was issued to M/s Travel Park on a credit basis and not directly to the complainant.
The opposite party further contended that British Airways had classified the ticket as non-refundable and valid only till April 30, 2022, due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It claimed the complainant failed to use the ticket within the validity period.
The firm also argued that the complaint, filed in 2025, was barred by limitation under Section 69 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
However, the commission held that the grievance constituted a continuing cause of action because information regarding ticket validity and refund was communicated much later.
“The failure to timely communicate material information and failure to assist in refund amounts to deficiency in service,” the commission observed.
The panel referred to the Supreme Court judgment in Lucknow Development Authority vs M.K. Gupta (1994), which held that inadequacy or imperfection in service amounts to deficiency in service.
While partly allowing the complaint, the commission directed the travel company to pay the awarded amounts within 45 days from the date of the order.
