Travel firm demands additional Rs 2.98 lakh to change flight dates; commission orders Rs 5.43 lakh payout

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NEW DELHI: A Delhi district consumer commission has directed a travel company to refund Rs 5.43 lakh to a family that was allegedly charged Rs 2.98 lakh to reschedule international flight tickets despite being told the tickets could be changed without additional charges. The commission also awarded Rs 30,000 as compensation and Rs 20,000 towards litigation expenses. The order was passed on September 18, 2026.Why did the family approach the consumer commission?According to the commission order, the complainants booked four open air tickets on April 6, 2024, for a total of Rs 5,43,551. The round-trip journey from Delhi to Amsterdam via Helsinki was scheduled for April 20, with the return journey on April 27 on Finnair Airlines.Before booking, the travel company allegedly assured the complainants that under its open ticket policy, the travel dates could be rescheduled within one year of booking without any additional fees, penalty or charges from the airline.On April 18, the complainants informed the travel company on WhatsApp group that their visas would not be processed in time and requested them to change the travel dates.The complainants received their visas on April 27.The travel company then asked for additional Rs 2.98 lakh on May 14 for changing the travel dates, following which the complainants sought refund of the entire ticket amount.The company, however, denied that it had promised free rescheduling. It alleged that it had merely acted as a travel agent facilitating the flight bookings and that rescheduling was something which falls under airline’s jurisdiction.It also argued that the complainants had been informed that changes in travel dates would involve fare differences along with possible penalties. The travel company then claimed that the tickets were non-refundable and that any flexibility in rescheduling was subject to the airline’s policies and applicable fare differences.The company also claimed that the complainants had delayed obtaining their visas and that their demand to waive the rescheduling charges was not justified.Why did the commission order a refund?The bench of president Monika Aggarwal Srivastava and members Dr Rajender Dhar and Ritu Garodia examined the documents submitted by both sides, including the WhatsApp chats produced by the complainants. It found that the family had been misled into believing that the tickets were open tickets.The commission said the demand for Rs 2.98 lakh to change the travel dates was unwarranted and unjustified.It observed that the travel company had indulged in mis-selling with the intention of extracting more money from the customers. The commission held that such conduct amounted to an unfair trade practice and concealment of hidden charges, besides being a deficiency in service.“OP has indulged in mis-selling with the intention of extracting more money from the customers. Such conduct amounts to unfair trade practice and concealment of hidden charges and, as such, constitutes deficiency in service and unfair trade practice on the part of OP,” the commission said.The commission further noted that the complainants had paid Rs 5,43,551 for the tickets. Since they were faced with the additional Rs 2.98 lakh demand for rescheduling, they decided not to undertake the journey and sought a refund of the entire amount.“OP is directed to refund an amount of Rs.5,43,551/- along with interest of 6 percent per annum from the date of filing of the complaint, i.e. 19.09.2024, till its realisation. In case of failure to comply with the aforesaid direction, the entire amount shall carry interest of 7 percent per annum from the date of default till its realisation,” the commission concluded.The commission held that the evidence, particularly the WhatsApp communication, supported the complainants’ claim that they had been led to believe the tickets were open tickets. It therefore directed the company to refund the full ticket amount.What did the consumer commission order?The South II district consumer commission directed the travel company to: