Court Orders SpiceJet To Pay Rs 62,000 To Elderly Couple Left Stranded In Delhi After Haj

In a major victory for air passengers, an elderly couple from Srinagar has been awarded more than Rs 62,000 after a consumer commission held SpiceJet responsible for allegedly denying them boarding despite them having valid boarding passes. After nearly two years of fighting for justice, they have finally won their case.

SpiceJet Ordered To Compensate Haj Pilgrims After Alleged Boarding Denial

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Srinagar has directed SpiceJet to refund the couple's airfare and pay them compensation worth more than Rs 62,000. The commission ruled that the airline was not only guilty of deficiency in service but had also adopted an unfair trade practice.

The incident took place on July 8, 2024, when Ghulam Nabi Fafoo and his wife, Raja Begum, were flying back to Srinagar after completing the Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, The Indian Express reported. Their son had booked them on a SpiceJet flight from Delhi to Srinagar, scheduled to leave at 6:45 pm and arrive in Srinagar at 8:20 pm.

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Haj Journey Ends in Legal Victory

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The elderly couple reached the airport well before time and completed every required step without any issues. According to the complaint, when boarding began, the couple was suddenly stopped from entering the aircraft. They claimed they were denied boarding even though they had valid boarding passes in hand.

What made the situation even more confusing was that, according to the complaint, airline staff did not explain why they were being stopped. According to The Indian Express, the couple alleged that while they were turned away, other passengers were allowed to board the same flight. They said their checked-in baggage was returned after waiting for several hours.

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By the time they collected their luggage, every other flight to Srinagar that day had already departed, and they spent the night stranded. The next morning, they had to purchase fresh tickets on an IndiGo flight to finally reach Srinagar. After hearing the case, the Srinagar Consumer Commission ruled in favour of the couple. According to The Indian Express, they directed the airline to pay a total of Rs 62,078, which includes Rs 10,078 as a refund of the original ticket fare and Rs 52,000 as compensation for the mental distress, harassment, inconvenience, and financial losses suffered by the couple.