Aviation Bites! Bangladesh Based Airline To Pay 40K For Not Accommodating A Passenger On Another Flight After Cancellation.

Posted on September 17, 2012 by Runjhun

Complaint Against Bangladesh Based Airline To Pay 40K For Not Accommodating A Passenger On Another Flight After Cancellation.

Surprise Number 1: Bangladesh has another airline. Surprise Number 2: THAT airline too harassed its consumers. The above two statements basically summarize this story. GMG Airlines, a Bangladesh based airlines has been directed by the New Delhi District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum here to pay Rs 40,000 to a passenger for not accommodating him on another plane after one of its scheduled flights was cancelled. Quite interestingly, the airline could not accommodate the passenger in another flight because there was NO OTHER flight! In fact, there was no flight to Delhi of this airline in the entire month of June, the month for which this unfortunate consumer had bought a ticket. This, however, is not really an excuse as rightly considered by the forum because even if the airline did not have it own flight, it should have accommodated the passenger on the flight of some other airline at its own expenses. The forum awarded the compensation stating that not only was the flier inconvenienced by the flight cancellation, but he also had to bear additional expense of buying another ticket for returning. The order was given ex-parte. GMG Airlines To Pay 40K (Indian Express)

Promotional Scheme Troubles! National Commission Fines Lufthansa For Not Refunding Unused Amount Of The Ticket

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Runjhun

complaint against Lufthansa ordered to pay fine by national-commission

Nothing delights an Indian more than a concessional offer. Don’t believe me? You only have to look at the delight on the face of the next door aunty when the local store offers her rebate of 5 bucks on her 100 rupees worth of hawaii chappal.

As a disclaimer, the term aunty here is not specific and is merely a generic reference to that majority of female (and sometimes male) population in the country who consider their waking hours well spent only if more than half of them are spent haggling with the local kirana.

I am yet to decipher the joy one gets out of saving those meager 2 bucks after what seems like a couple of hours of verbal jostling. Or the orgasmic pleasure with which folks (mostly girls) scream at the sight of a board that says ‘sale’.

As far as I am concerned, any promotional offer or sale only triggers in my mind the infinite possibilities of being cheated, looted and be fooled But well…that may be just a side-effect of being the editor of this blog. Or may be I am abnormal. Take your pick.

Back to the story that triggered this profound introspection.

A happy couple blessed with a concessional offer by Lufthansa were in a great shock when the airline refused to refund the unused amount of their ticket. The terms and conditions were never clearly specified anywhere including the ticket leaflet, leaving the guessing couple in a huge fix when they could not use the return ticket for the second half, that is, the return journey due to unavailability of seats with the airline at that point. When they went claim the refund, airlines predictably but without any forewarning refused.

The National Consumer Commission was obviously not amused nor did it agree with the airlines when it said that it was not liable to refund the money because they had already charged the consumers way below the cost price because of the concessional scheme. The Commission held Lufthansa liable for not revealing either on the tickets or by means of any leaflet that the tickets were issued to the couple under an excursion fare scheme or that no refund was permitted for partially-used tickets.

The interesting point here was that the couple were not even informed by the travel agent that the ticket was being issued under some kind of concessional scheme. The non-disclosure of relevant information landed the airlines into trouble and were ordered by the National Commission to refund the cost of the ticket in full, that is, around Rs. 80,000.

Consumer Court Pulls Up Lufthansa, Orders Fine (Ummid)

New Delhi Consumer Forum Orders Biman Bangladesh To Pay 41K For A Lost TV.

Posted on August 11, 2012 by Runjhun

Complaint against Biman Bangladesh, To Pay 41K For Lost Baggage

There are times when we are mortified. There are times when we are stumped. There are times when we are just stoic. But there are very very rare times when we are downright amused (roll on the floor laughing types amused)!

Our first reaction when I came across this news piece–Bangladesh has an airlines!!!

I am not trying to be mean..really…but Bangladesh having an airline was a genuine surprise. But on second thoughts, Bangladesh has a cricket team with a performance record…erm…to reckon for. An airline, performance notwithstanding, seems a much more viable load.

Pulling ourselves within the realms of diplomatic dignity (and of course, we didn’t mean any harm or disrespect…but there are points we just can’t resist!)

Back to the original point, Biman Bangladesh has been ordered to pay 41K to a consumer in Delhi by the New Delhi Consumer Forum for losing his LCD TV in transit from Bangkok to Delhi. The airline refused to compensate the consumer despite being informed by him leading go this complaint. The forum held the airline liable for deficiency in services and ordered them to not only pay the entire cost of the lost LCD but also pay a compensation of 10K for harassment and litigation cost.

Biman Bangladesh Ordered To Compensate For Lost Lost Baggage (Business Line)

Penny Wise, Pound Foolish-Jetlite To Pay 14K For Not Refunding 4K, The Cost Of A Lost Ticket

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Runjhun

Complaint Against Jetlite, To Pay 14K For Not Refunding Ticket Cost

Just when we thought we were done with aviation woes for the week with our capsule, another one came tumbling out. The airline calls itself JetLite…which me thinks is pretty derogatory. I wonder how can someone or thing can prefer being the “lite” version of anything and that has nothing to do with my love for heavyweights in every field!

That was lame! I know. But it is 10′o clock at night, aviation troubles have way exceeded their utility or interest value, one tumbling out every nanosecond and Tadka’s ”spice it up” switches are operating on snooze.

I really hope that doesn’t make sense to anybody!

Back to the original reason of our existence in this world.

New Delhi District Consumer Forum has ordered Jetlite to pay for Sahara’s sins. For the ones suffering from a GK handicap, Jetlite was formerly Sahara Airlines.

The aggrieved consumer in question had lost his son’s ticket in transit when sent the ticket through snail mail to his son. On contacting the airline, they were asked to inform the police regarding the lost after which the ticket was to be blacklisted and refund process was to be started. However, despite fulfilling all these requirements, Jetlite did not refund the consumer’s money and instead chose to fight the case in the consumer court, dragging the matter for 8 years. The forum held them liable for deficiency in service as well as their refund policy of returning the money within 10 days in such cases. The airline was ordered to pay Rs. 14000 including the ticket cost (around Rs. 4000), compensation and litigation costs.

The stance taken by Jetlite in this case is downright stupid. If nothing more, they could have saved 10,000 bucks apart from saving a lot of time, litigation cost and ill-will of a very very harassed consumer. The case is almost like an instance of brands deriving sadistic pleasure at the expense of the consumers. And if it is not that, then probably the forum judged it right when they said that the airline was penny wise, pound foolish.

Jetlite To Pay 14K For Not Refunding Ticket Cost (Business Line)

Flying Troubles! Nationality No Bar-From SpiceJet To British Airways To Air France, Consumers Irked By All!

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Runjhun

Complaints Against SpiceJet, Air France And British Airways, To Pay Hefty Compensation

A complaint against SpiceJet and another one against British Airways and another one against Air France hit the irony way too hard in our heads. So when it comes to harassing consumers, desi videsi are all equals, no discrimination, thank you very much!

We lubbb equality!

So our very own (own?) SpiceJet was ordered to pay Rs.25000 to a passenger by a Delhi consumer forum in New Delhi after they wrongly charged a consumer’s daughter Rs. 700 for carrying excess baggage on a flight from Pune to Delhi. The forum held that nowhere in the terms and conditions of the e-ticket was mentioned that extra charges will be payable on excess baggage and hence ordered the airlines to not only refund the amount but also pay compensation for mental agony and harassment.

25K for 700! That is why we urge our consumers to stand for their rights…it is actually worth it and more!

SpiceJet To Pay 25K To Passengers. (Deccan Herald)

Close on heels, British Airways decided to forego all stuff British (forgive the colonial hangover) and decided to trouble the consumers desi ishtyle. Result was a sharp rap on the knuckles by the consumer forum, once again adhering to the innate desipan of the situation. British Airways had offloaded a woman passenger at Vancouver Airport as they had failed to inform her that she needed a transit visa for London en route to Delhi. The woman was forced to extend her stay in Canada due to failure of airline and its agent to give her proper information. Both the airline and the travel agency were held directly liable and were ordered to pay Rs. 2 lakhs as harassment compensation including the litigation costs.

British Airways To Pay 2 Lakhs For Offloading A Passenger (Deccan Chronicle)

French courtesy went for a toss when Air France not only misplaced a 73 year old woman’s luggage but also returned it a week later in damaged condition. The New Delhi District Consumer Forum, while ordering Air France to pay a compensation of Rs. 60,000, not only took the misplacement and damage into account but also the fact of uncertainty and anxiety faced by the consumer during the entire week when the luggage was missing and even when it was found, the passenger’s husband had to travel to Delhi from Chandigarh to collect it.

Air France To Pay 60K For Luggage Damage (Business Line)

Want To Carry Extra Luggage? Travel By Air India And Bribe The Staff.

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Runjhun

complaint against Air India, to pay compensation for asking for bribe

Talk of airlines and it is all same old same old. Some lost baggage, some lost passenger-throw in some misbehaving staff and the pot-pouri of erring airlines is ready.

But this was different, with some tinge of innovation. Airline staff asking for bribe, now that is how Indians “do it”.

Apologies Nike!

Air India can set standards when it comes to aviation malpractices. This time, in true blue desi style. After all what is an Indian minus the bribe.

So, a staff member at Air India demanded bribe from a student leaving for Singapore to allow him to carry extra luggage. Civil Aviation Ministry tendered an apology for the occurence of this unfortunate event, a fact which according to the New Delhi District Consumer Forum established the fact that there was deficiency in service on part of the airline which should have been more courteous and sympathetic to the consumer who was a student. An essential point to be noted here is the fact that Air India does allow extra luggage for students.

The forum ordered Air India to pay a compensation of Rs. 35000 to the aggrieved consumer.

We applaud such relentless consumers who refuse to be bogged down and assert their rights fearlessly.

Bribe Compensation Air India To Pay 35K (Indian Express)