Thiruvananthapuram: The Ernakulum Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed an airliner and travel firm to refund the price of a ticket and pay a compensation for disallowing cancellation of an air ticket.
As per the complaint filed by pediatrician Dr S Sachidananda Kamath of TD Road, Kochi he was to participate in the International Congress of Pediatrics 2013, to be held in Melbourne from August 24-29 that year. He approached the agency named Princy World Travels, Marine Drive, Kochi and booked tickets on Air Asia. He remitted Rs. 56,100 as airfare on January 29.
The scheduled date of journey was August 28 from Kochi to Melbourne. But immediately after booking the tickets, the complainant came to know that he would not be able to travel due to unavoidable assignments. Two weeks later in February, he demanded the cancellation of the air ticket and the agent agreed.Even one week prior to the proposed journey he was informed that he was eligible for refund based on a new refund policy.
Days later, he was told that cancellation was not possible. So he requested that the date of the journey be postponed but that request was also rejected. He then approached the consumer forum.
The travel agency contested that one Dr. Abraham Paul had made an enquiry for 32 persons attending the Pediatric Congress at Australia. He sought maximum concession on air tickets, the agency said. All tickets were booked based on the instructions of his friend Dr Narayanan who was informed that tickets were non-refundable. Each passenger remitted the cash separately and Dr Kamath was one of them. He later demanded a cancellation. The Commission asked them to pay a compensation of Rs10,000.
