A family from Bengaluru, India, recently won a case against IndiGo airlines and online travel portal MakeMyTrip after experiencing a series of adverse events due to a flight delay. The family had booked flights to Israel through MakeMyTrip on IndiGo and Oman Air. However, their flight from Bengaluru to Delhi was delayed, causing them to miss their connecting flight to Istanbul. IndiGo provided them with accommodation in Delhi and arranged for another flight to Turkey, but they still missed their flight to Tel Aviv. As a result, the family had to book new tickets on Turkish Airlines and incurred additional expenses.
Upon reaching Tel Aviv, the family discovered that they had lost their pre-booked hotel reservation due to their late arrival. They filed a complaint against IndiGo airlines and MakeMyTrip, demanding compensation for their expenses. The two companies offered a partial refund, but the family believed they were entitled to more. They sent a legal notice to the airline and the travel portal and filed a complaint with the consumer disputes redressal commission.
The lawyer representing IndiGo argued that flight delays due to bad weather, particularly in December, are unavoidable and the airline had provided the family with necessary support and accommodation. MakeMyTrip’s attorney stated that they had booked the family’s flight tickets and the delay was beyond their control.
In May 2023, the consumer forum ruled in favor of the family, stating that IndiGo and MakeMyTrip were at fault for not informing the passengers in advance about possible flight delays and the resulting missed connections. The court ordered both companies to pay compensation and refunds to the family. They were awarded Rs 25,000 as compensation for each of the five passengers, Rs 45,000 for the new flight tickets from Istanbul to Tel Aviv, Rs 30,000 for their lost hotel booking, and Rs 40,000 for new hotel bookings. In addition, the companies were ordered to reimburse the family for their court expenses, amounting to Rs 5,000 with interest.
The payments must be made within 60 days of the court order.