Indian consumer body orders THAI to pay damages
Thai Airways International (THAI) has been ordered to pay Bt100,000 in compensation to an Indian man and his family who were told they could not board their return flight from Bangkok, because their tickets, bought from an agent, were not confirmed, the Press Trust of India reported from New Delhi.
"When a person goes on an excursion trip, he always plans the itinerary in such a manner that he does not face any inconvenience and thus makes sure that the tickets are confirmed," said Justice JD Kapoor, president of India's State Consumer Commission.The report, dated last Friday, said Kapoor held the airline responsible for causing hardship to its passengers in an alien land. The commission rejected THAI's contention its subagent had incorrectly termed the tickets "confirmed" and that the travellers had no direct dealings with it. "Whenever airlines evolve the system of sale of tickets through their agents, the endorsement made by them on tickets as 'okay' or 'confirmed' is an endorsement made on behalf of the airlines, and the airline is liable directly as well as vicariously for every act of omission or commission of its agent or subagent," it said. Shyam Sunder, a resident of Delhi, had gone on holiday to Bangkok with three family members in 1997. He booked "confirmed" tickets from Delhi to Bangkok and back through a Delhi-based subagent. But when he and his family were about to board the return flight from Bangkok, they were told by THAI officials that their tickets had not been confirmed. They had to buy fresh tickets after borrowing money from a friend.
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