Consumer Court Fines Airline & Travel Agency for Denied Boarding

A Bengaluru family of three won ₹1.2 lakh in compensation after British Airways and travel agency CheapOair wrongly stopped them from boarding a flight to the US due to a payment issue. A consumer court held both companies responsible for their trouble.

Tickets Canceled Without Notice

Gopal Ramachandraiah, from Kodihalli, booked three round-trip tickets to Denver via London for himself, his wife, and their two-year-old daughter. He paid over ₹3 lakh via credit card through CheapOair on August 28, 2022.

On September 27, 2022, when they reached Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), British Airways staff told them their tickets had been suspended due to a payment issue—without any prior warning. Even though the amount was deducted from his account, Gopal was left stranded with no immediate solution.

Blame Game Between Airline & Travel Agency

Desperate to travel for an urgent business trip, Gopal sought help from British Airways, but they directed him to CheapOair. With no solution, he had to buy new Lufthansa tickets the next day from Mumbai, costing him ₹3.6 lakh.

After getting no response from CheapOair, Gopal filed a complaint with the Bengaluru Consumer Court in August 2023.

Court Holds Airline & Travel Agency Responsible

British Airways argued that the suspension was due to a previous booking issue and claimed the family was given the option to repurchase tickets at the airport. The airline also stated that a refund was processed in August 2023 and that consumer protection laws didn’t apply as the trip was for business.

However, the court found that CheapOair was aware of the suspension but never informed Gopal, and British Airways failed to notify passengers on time.

Court’s Decision & Compensation

The consumer court ruled in favor of Gopal and ordered:

✔ ₹1.2 lakh as compensation for mental distress and inconvenience.
✔ ₹3 lakh refund with 8% interest from August 2022 to August 2023.

This ruling highlights the importance of passenger rights and holds airlines and travel agencies accountable for ticketing failures.