‘Denied’ boarding over UK visa despite US itinerary, man wins Rs 1.72 lakh from airlines

A consumer commission in Punjab has ordered an airline to refund Rs 1.37 lakh in airfare and pay Rs 35,500 in compensation to a passenger denied boarding due to a misunderstanding of his travel itinerary. The passenger, who was traveling from New Delhi to Minneapolis for his father to collect important documents for a business deal, was allegedly treated as if his final destination was London, requiring a UK visa.

The airline's staff did not properly verify the complete itinerary, leading to his offloading and financial loss. The commission ruled in favor of the passenger, directing the airline to refund the airfare and compensation for mental anguish.