Kumari consumer panel orders travel agency to pay back airfares

MADURAI: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Kanniyakumari, directed a tourism agency to pay back airfare and adequate compensation to a total of 14 aggrieved persons for causing deficiency in service, sources said on Monday.

Gnanaprakasam, the victim and complainant from Vadakarai of Kanniyakumari district approached the private tourism agency, which’s located at Avadi in Chennai and paid money for booking flight tickets for a group of 14 passengers on a tour of Andamans. After booking, the agency also sent all those air tickets to the passengers. But, owing to COVID restrictions, the passengers, who booked the air tickets, could not proceed as planned. As they could not travel, they sought the agency and the airliner to pay back the travel fare paid.

The passengers were informed by the airliner through email that money paid for travel fare was returned through the agency. Based on the information, the aggrieved passengers, who did not make the trip, demanded the travel fare back from the agency, which forwarded a cheque, but it bounced as there was no money in the account.

A legal notice was sent to the tourism agency through the Commission, but there was no response. Dejected Gnanaprakasam then filed a case with the Commission seeking action against the agency. Suresh, president, District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, who chaired the enquiry, ordered the agency in the presence of Member of the Commission A Sankar, to payback the fare money of Rs 1.65 lakh, compensation of Rs 35,000 and Rs 5,000 towards case expenses within a period of one month, sources said.