SpiceJet delay forces extra expenses, to pay Rs 85K

A senior citizen from Patna triumphed in a five-year legal dispute against SpiceJet, after their repeated flight delays caused substantial extra costs for his family. The District Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission in Patna ruled that the airline must pay Rs 85,816, including interest, for their deficient service. Dilip Kumar Agarwal had booked three tickets from Patna to Mangalore via Mumbai in January 2021, spending Rs 18,697 on the trip related to his son's medical consultation.

The Patna to Mumbai leg faced multiple delays, and by the time they reached Mumbai, their connecting flight to Mangalore had departed. To continue their journey, the family had to pay for a hotel, transportation, and purchase fresh tickets on GoAir, resulting in additional expenses totaling Rs 20,205. The airline's attempt to claim bad weather in Delhi as the reason for the delays was dismissed, as they failed to provide any official documentation to support this argument.

The commission considered Agarwal's evidence, including hotel bills, transport costs, fresh ticket expenses, and the lost hotel advance in Mangalore, and ruled in his favor. The final order totals Rs 85,816, which includes Rs 15,816 for travel and hotel expenses, Rs 50,000 for mental anguish, Rs 20,000 for litigation costs, and an additional 12 percent annual interest on the Rs 15,816 amount, running from the date the complaint was filed in April 2021.

The airline has three months to comply with the order, or it will face an increased interest rate of 15 percent per annum and a potential execution petition from the complainant.