The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Hamirpur, comprising President Hemanshu Mishra and Members Sneh Lata and Joginder Mahajan, held EaseMyTrip (Easy Trip Planner Ltd.) liable for deficiency in service for issuing an air ticket after Go First Airlines had already suspended its operations and for failing to inform the passenger in advance that the flight had been cancelled.

The Commission observed that an online travel platform cannot escape liability after accepting a booking, particularly when it failed to inform the passenger that the flight had been cancelled. It directed EaseMyTrip to compensate the passenger, who was forced to travel by taxi from Leh to New Delhi to attend his own wedding.

Facts:

The complainant, Nitin Thakur, booked an air ticket through the EaseMyTrip online portal on May 5, 2023, for a Go First Airlines flight from Leh to New Delhi scheduled on June 1, 2023, after paying ₹14,261.

On reaching Leh Airport on the day of travel, he was informed that the flight had been cancelled. He alleged that neither EaseMyTrip nor Go First had provided any prior intimation of the cancellation through SMS, email or any other mode. As he was travelling to Himachal Pradesh for his own pre-scheduled marriage, he was compelled to hire a commercial taxi from Leh to Delhi at an additional cost of ₹18,000 to reach on time.

Alleging deficiency in service for failing to inform him about the cancellation and for not refunding the ticket amount or reimbursing his additional travel expenses despite repeated requests, he approached the Consumer Commission seeking refund, compensation and litigation costs.

Contentions of the Opposite Party:

EaseMyTrip argued that it acted only as an online travel intermediary and that the contract of carriage existed solely between the complainant and Go First Airlines. It submitted that the flight was cancelled due to the airline's operational issues and insolvency, and that it could process a refund only after receiving the amount from the airline. It denied any deficiency in service.

Observation and decision:

The Commission held that EaseMyTrip was liable for deficiency in service as it accepted the complainant's booking and issued the e-ticket after Go First had already suspended its flight operations and filed for bankruptcy. It further observed that EaseMyTrip failed to inform the complainant in advance about the flight cancellation, forcing him to incur additional travel expenses to attend his own wedding.

Accordingly, the Commission directed EaseMyTrip to refund ₹14,261 to the complainant within 45 days, along with ₹25,000 as compensation for mental agony and ₹4,000 towards litigation costs. It further held that if the refund amount was not paid within the stipulated period, it would carry interest at 9% per annum from the date of the complaint.

Case Title: Nitin Thakur v. Easy Trip Planner Ltd. & Anr

Case No.: DC/17/CC/118/2024

Click Here To Read/Download Order