The complainant had alleged that he was wrongly denied boarding. (Image generated using AI)A consumer commission in Punjab has directed an airline to refund Rs 1.37 lakh in airfare and pay an additional Rs 35,500 to a passenger who was denied boarding after airline staff allegedly treated London, a transit point on his journey to the United States, as his final destination and demanded a UK visa.President S K Aggarwal and member Paramjeet Kaur observed that the airline staff wrongly treated London as the complainant’s final destination and denied him boarding without properly verifying the complete itinerary.“The conduct of OP no. 1 amounted to deficiency in service, causing the complainant financial loss, inconvenience, and mental agony,” the order read.Boarding deniedAccording to the complaint, the complainant’s parents were visiting his younger brother in Canada, while certain original documents required to finalise a business deal were lying at their residence in Punjab. Since the complainant did not have a Canadian visa but held a valid US visitor visa, it was decided that he would travel to Minneapolis, where his father would collect the documents.It was stated that air tickets costing Rs 1.37 lakh were purchased through an agent. The complainant alleged that when he reached airport for check-in, the airline staff allegedly treated London as his final destination and demanded that he produce a UK visa, despite his itinerary showing onward travel to the United States.The complainant said that he was subsequently offloaded and denied boarding. Despite producing his complete itinerary and making repeated requests, including attempts by his father and brother to explain the situation through customer care and telephone calls, the airline staff did not reconsider the decision, the complaint stated.Seeking a refund of expenses and compensation for mental agony, the complainant moved consumer commission. The opposite parties failed to appear before the commission hence were proceeded against ex parte.Story continues below this adThe commission said the documents on record showed that the complainant possessed a valid itinerary for travel from New Delhi to London, Chicago and Minneapolis and held a valid US visa. “The staff of OP No. 1 (airlines) wrongly treated London as the complainant’s final destination and denied him boarding without properly verifying the complete itinerary,” it stated.The commission noted that the endorsement “offloaded” on the ticket and the subsequent correspondence relating to details on financial loss substantiated the complainant’s case. The commission however said there was no deficiency in service on the part of the ticketing agency, from which the ticket had been purchased, and dismissed the complaint against the company.Allowing the complaint partly against the airline, the commission directed it to refund the airfare of Rs 1,37,538, besides refunding the taxi fare of Rs 10,500 and paying Rs 25,000 as compensation and litigation expenses.TakeawayThe order emphasise that airlines must properly verify a passenger’s complete itinerary and travel documents before denying boarding and wrongly treating a transit point as the final destination can amount to a deficiency in service, making the airline liable for refund and compensation.Story continues below this adFor consumer-related grievances, individuals may contact the consumer helpline in their respective states (Punjab: 0800–22577) and Union territories or call the National Consumer Helpline at 1915 for assistance.Don’t miss out on these stories:Study-abroad firm ‘fails to process Canada visa or pay tuition’, woman wins Rs 11 lakhTN woman loses Rs 50,000 in ‘phishing scam’, wins Rs 1.1 lakh compensation from bankWest Bengal cops seize used car over ‘forged’ documents, buyer wins Rs 4.25 lakh payout Ashish Shaji is a Senior Sub-Editor at The Indian Express (Digital), where he specialises in legal journalism. Combining a formal education in law with years of editorial experience, Ashish covers court developments and key cases for the audience. Expertise Ashish is a law graduate (BA LLB) from IME Law College, CCSU. His work at The Indian Express focuses on translating the often-dense proceedings of courts into clear, legal content. He also runs liveblogs from the Supreme Court and various High Courts. Industry Experience: With over 5 years in the field, Ashish has contributed to several niche legal and professional platforms, honing his ability to communicate complex information. His previous experience includes: Lawsikho: Gaining insights into legal education and practical law. Verdictum: Focusing on high-quality legal news and court updates. Enterslice: Working at the intersection of legal, financial, and advisory services. ... Read More Tags:consumer court