A consumer court in Bengaluru has directed IndiGo Airlines to pay Rs 70,000 to a couple for causing a delay in receiving their checked-in luggage, while they were on vacation to Port Blair.
The order was recently passed by the third Additional Bangalore Urban District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission on a complaint by a couple alleging that their vacation to port Blair was spoiled due to delay caused by the airlines.
Noting that there was a deficiency of service on part of IndiGo, the Commission ordered IndiGo to pay Rs 50,000 as compensation, apart from Rs 10,000 for the mental agony suffered by the couple and Rs 10,000 to cover their litigation costs.
The coram comprising President Shivarama K, Chandrashekar S. Noola and Rekha Sayannvar noted that the Act of the opposite party [IndiGo] had spoiled the holiday mood of the complainants.
It also took in view the fact that the complainants had important items in the check-in-baggage and the delay forced them to purchase clothes and other items from the local market amounting to Rs 5,000.
It said even though the opposite party staff promised that the luggage would arrive the next day, the same did not arrive. Hence, there was deficiency of service on part of the opposite party, it added.
As per the complaint, on November 1, 2021, the couple had booked their trip with IndiGo Airlines to travel from Bengaluru to Port Blair.
Upon reaching their intended vacation destination, they were disheartened to find that their checked-in luggage, containing crucial items like clothing, medications and ferry tickets for their Andaman boat rides, had not arrived in Port Blair.
The couple then lodged a complaint with IndiGo and submitted a Property Irregularity Report. The ground crew of IndiGo assured them that their misplaced bags would be delivered to them on the next day (November 2). However, the luggage was received only on November 3.
On November 18, the couple sent a legal notice to InterGlobe Aviation Limited, the parent company of IndiGo Airlines.
In 2022, the couple filed a complaint with the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Bengaluru against the airline, seeking compensation for the disruption of their vacation.
The counsel for the couple argued that since there was a delay in securing their luggage, they were put to irrecoverable injury. It was also argued that IndiGo was aware that the luggage was not loaded on the November 1 flight, but had concealed this aspect to the couple.
On September 26, the district consumer court partly allowed their complaint and directed the airlines to pay them Rs 70,000 within 45 days.
The order further said that if there was any delay in making the payment, the airlines would have to pay interest at the rate of 9 percent per annum.