A Bengaluru family has been awarded Rs 4.2 lakh in compensation and legal fees after British Airways denied them boarding on a flight to Denver, Colorado, at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on September 27, 2022.
The family, consisting of Gopal Ramachandraiah (42), his wife, and their two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, had booked return tickets through a Gurgaon-based travel agent. They arrived at the airport in time for their scheduled journey, which was to take them via London. However, despite being at the airport with their valid tickets, they were denied boarding by the airline.
In response to this, the Consumer Court in Bengaluru ruled in favor of the family, ordering British Airways to pay them Rs 1.2 lakh in compensation and legal fees. The ruling also mandated the airline to pay the family a total of Rs 4.2 lakh after the incident, highlighting the significance of passenger rights and accountability for airlines in cases of denied boarding.
This case serves as a reminder of the importance of travel consumer protection, especially regarding denied boarding, a situation that has become more frequent in recent times.
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