A Bengaluru Consumer Commission has directed a travel agent to pay ₹83,800 to a customer who, along with three other passengers, missed a flight to Baku, Azerbaijan, after the agent failed to communicate a change in its departure time. The Commission held the travel agent responsible for deficiency in service and unfair trade practice.
The Commission, comprising President Vijaykumar M Pawale and members K Anitha Shiva Kumar and Chandrashekar S Noola, found that the airline had informed the travel agent about the revised flight schedule, but the information was not passed on to the passengers.
The dispute arose from a holiday package booked for four travellers to Baku from February 12 to 19, 2025, for ₹3.42 lakh. The itinerary supplied by the travel agent mentioned that the flight would depart at 2 pm on February 12.
However, the departure time was subsequently advanced to 10:30 am. According to the complaint, the passengers reached the airport at approximately 10:30 am, only to learn from airline staff that their flight had already departed.
Passengers Incurred Additional Expenses
Following the missed flight, the travellers had to arrange another flight scheduled for 3 am on February 13.
The complainant alleged that the travel agent demanded an additional ₹61,800 to rebook the tickets. Although the amount was paid, the agent did not refund it despite repeated requests.
The passengers also incurred ₹12,000 in accommodation expenses in Bengaluru because their journey had been delayed until the following day.
The complainant approached the Consumer Commission, alleging that the travel agent’s failure to notify them about the revised departure schedule had caused avoidable financial losses.
Commission Finds Deficiency in Service
During the proceedings, the travel agent remained absent and did not contest the allegations. Consequently, the Commission proceeded against the agent ex parte.
After examining the complaint and the material placed before it, the Commission concluded that the travel agent had failed to discharge its responsibility to communicate the flight schedule change.
The Commission observed that the airline had already informed the agent about the revised departure time. Despite receiving this information, the agent did not notify the complainant.
It held that the travel agent should have communicated the rescheduling information to the complainant or the other concerned party. The failure to do so amounted to deficiency in service and unfair trade practice.
₹83,800 Awarded to Complainant
Holding the travel agent liable, the Commission directed payment of ₹83,800 under three heads:
- ₹61,800 towards reimbursement of the additional flight booking charges.
- ₹12,000 towards accommodation expenses incurred in Bengaluru.
- ₹10,000 towards litigation costs.
The Commission’s decision places responsibility on the travel agent for the additional expenses incurred by the passengers because the revised flight departure time was not communicated to them.
