Chandigarh District Commission Holds Yatra Online Liable For Failure To Provide Direct Airline Booking

Brief Facts:

Mr Kasim (“Complainant”) booked an air-ticket for his son, Mohd. Wasim, through the website of Yatra Online Private limited (“Yatra”), from Delhi to Toronto. However, Yatra erroneously booked the air-ticket for the route Delhi to Madrid, Madrid to Lisbon, and Lisbon to Toronto. The Complainant informed Yatra about the need to cancel the air-ticket due to his son's requirement for a Transit Visa. Despite the Complainant's concerns, Yatra assured him that there would be no issue, and his son could travel. On the scheduled date of travel, the son was denied entry at Delhi Airport, leading the Complainant to purchase a new air-ticket for a direct flight to Toronto at a cost of Rs. 88,000/-. The Complainant sought a refund from Yatra but he received no satisfactory reply. Feeling aggrieved, the Complainant filed a consumer complaint in the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-II, U.T. Chandigarh (“District Commission”).

In response to the complaint, Yatra asserted that the tickets were booked offline over a call, for Toronto via Madrid. The details were shared with the Complainant through an email dated and the tickets were confirmed upon receipt of a 'Go ahead' email from the complainant. Yatra contended that the Complainant inquired about the Transit Visa over the call, and it explained to the Complainant that it was necessary to have a transit visa of the Local Embassy or the Airlines. It claimed that the Complainant was informed about the option to cancel the ticket for free within 23 hours of booking, but the Complainant, instead of canceling, expressed a desire to reschedule to a flight without transit visa. It stated that rescheduling to such a flight was not available, and a cancellation mail was sent to the Complainant. It alleged that despite confirming the cancellation, the Complainant later denied it over a call, citing concerns about a non-refundable voucher of Rs. 25,000/-. It contended that rescheduling charges were communicated via email, but the Complainant did not respond.

Observations by the Commission:

The District Commission noted that Yatra failed to deliver the professional services and guidance expected when the Complainant approached it for availing services. The District Commission held that, as a professional agency, Yatra had the responsibility to provide a hassle-free and direct route from Delhi to Toronto, aligning with the Complainant's preferences. Yatra, however, fell short in offering proper guidance and services to the Complainant, establishing a failure to fulfill their professional obligations. Consequently, the District Commission held Yatra liable for deficiency in service and an engagement in unfair trade practices.

In light of this finding, the District Commission directed Yatra to refund an amount of Rs. 56,504/- to the Complainant, along with interest at the rate of 9% per annum from the date of payment until the actual refund is made.

Case Title: Kasim vs Yatra Online Private Limited

Case No.: CC 984 of 2019

Advocate for the Complainant: Devinder Kumar and Raj Kishore

Advocate for the Respondent: Dixit Garg

Click Here To Read/Download The Order