Airline denied woman travel after issuing boarding pass, ordered to pay Rs 35,000

A private airline has been ordered to pay Rs 35,000 compensation to a woman after denying her boarding despite presenting a valid boarding pass. The Raipur District Consumer Commission ruled that the airline failed to provide adequate information to help her reach the boarding gate, which amounts to a deficiency in service and unfair trade practice.

The incident occurred when the woman, who had booked a flight from Bengaluru to Raipur on August 30, 2015, reached the airport well before the scheduled departure time and obtained a valid boarding pass. However, she was not allowed to board the flight, despite being present at the designated gate after the aircraft had already departed.

The airline argued that she had not reported to the gate in time, but the commission dismissed this claim, as they found no proof of the airline's alleged repeated attempts to inform her to reach the gate. The commission also found that the airport terminal manager and the travel booking portal were not liable for the decision, as they had no direct role in permitting or denying boarding.

The airline was held accountable for the arbitrary denial of boarding and ordered to pay Rs 25,000 as compensation to the passenger, along with Rs 10,000 towards legal costs.