District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission Chandigarh has directed Azerbaijan Airlines and travel agency Happy Fares to refund the amount of Rs 36,726 to a Kansal resident alongwith interest @6% per annum for cancelling the flight a day before scheduled departure.
The Commission has also directed the airlines to also pay 10,000 to the complainant as compensation for the harassment caused as well as litigation expenses.
Nikhil Saraf, an advocate in the complaint filed before the Commission said that in the month of April 2025, he planned a visit to Azerbaijan for a period of 10 days. Accordingly, he booked return air tickets through online portal called “Happy Fares” and paid 26,078 through Google Pay on May 22, 2025. He was issued the air tickets.
The flight was to leave from New Delhi to Baku on June 15, 2025, and the return flight from Baku to New Delhi was to depart on June 26.
After confirmation of the tickets, he had applied for visa for Azerbaijan through a web portal and paid Rs 2,726.96 on May 22, 2025, and also made the railway bookings from Chandigarh to Delhi and back through IRCTC.
He also made hotel bookings through the credit card of his colleague through travel portals ‘booking.com’ and ‘agoda’. However, on June 14, 2025, when he was ready to board the train from Chandigarh to Delhi at 6.20 pm, he received an email from travel agency at 4.40 pm informing about the cancellation of the flight from Delhi to Baku on June 15.
Due to the act of Airlines, he was harassed as the amount paid by him for his trip totalling Rs 36,725.61, incurred towards air tickets, visa fees, railway bookings and other travel-related arrangements, turned into a big loss.
The Commission said that despite notices, the airlines did not put in appearance before this Commission and accordingly they proceeded against ex-parte.
After hearing of the arguments, the Commission said due to the abrupt cancellation of the flight by the airline, the entire holiday plan of the complainant was sent for a toss. The conduct of the airlines in intimating the complainant about the cancellation of the flight at a highly belated stage and deprived him of any reasonable opportunity to make alternate travel arrangements caused not only financial loss, but also mental agony.
