Airline fined Rs 2.3 lakh for denying boarding to Bengaluru woman

A woman in Bengaluru sued British Airways after she was denied boarding despite having valid documents. Later she approached a consumer court which slapped the airline with a fine of Rs 2.3 lakh - Rs 1.9 lakh as damages and ticket refund of Rs 40,000.

According to Times of India, Nagarbhavi resident Sreelaxmi Dhananjay was scheduled to fly to Barcelona from Bengaluru with a brief stop in London. Her husband Dhananjay was waiting in Spain and the couple was to embark on a 10-day tour.

But when she reached the British Airways check-in counter at Kempegowda International Airport, the airline ground staff denied boarding to the 43-year-old Bengalurean stating she didn’t have a Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV) to pass through London.

Sreelaxmi explained to the ground staff that she held a valid Australian visa and as per the rules, Indian passport holders with a valid visa for Canada, New Zealand, Australia or the US are exempt from the requirement of DATV. However, the airline staff refused to listen to any explanation.

When she lodged a complaint with British Airways, the airline in an email apologiesed and acknowledged that the airline’s ground staff had erred in denying her boarding. The airline offered to refund her 600 Euros (equivalent to over Rs 48,000) for the trouble caused.

However, Sreelaxmi sued the airline and its representatives at KIA for service deficiency — she filed a case in Bangalore Rural and Urban 1st Additional District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum in Shantinagar in April 2021. The case lasted for about 17 months.

The British Airways’ attorney argued that there was no service deficiency on the part of the airline ground staff at KIA.

However, the consumer court slammed British Airways for claiming there was no deficiency in service even though its own officer had acknowleged the fault earlier.

"On August 20, 2022, the court ruled that British Airways and its representatives at KIA must jointly pay over Rs 2.3 lakh, including Rs 1 lakh towards damages, Rs 15,000 for litigation expenses of the passenger, Rs 46,000 with interest as ticket refund and Rs 75,000 towards miscellaneous tour expenses. The court ordered that the sum be paid within 30 days of the order," Times of India reported.