Holding Alitalia Airlines and its travel agent M/s Coronation Travel Pvt Ltd guilty of deficiency in service, the Central District Consumer Forum directed them to pay Vir Philip a compensation of Rs 50,000 and Rs 3,000 as litigation cost, besides a ticket refund of Rs 31,791.
"It is either the fault of the Airlines or its agent which caused great inconvenience to the complainant. There was no provision for his onward journey from London," the forum President AK Jain said.
Philip, a student of Lynn University in Florida, said he had booked his tickets for going to Miami from New Delhi for January 4, 2006, and for returning from Miami to New Delhi on August 2.
He had, however, rescheduled his return journey by booking his tickets from Miami to Milan for May 12 and from Milan to New Delhi for May 13, 2006.
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When the complainant reached Miami airport as scheduled, the Airlines officials allegedly did not allow him to board a flight to New Delhi and asked him to take a flight to London.
"The complainant had to go to London under great mental stress. After reaching London, he arranged another ticket for flying to New Delhi as the Airlines refused to accommodate him in any manner. This caused great mental and physical harassment to him," said the forum comprising SC Jain and M Siddiqui as members.
The Airlines defended itself by blaming Philip and its travel agent for the mix-up.
Contesting Philip's charges, the Alitalia Airlines claimed he had himself booked his ticket from Miami to London. It also said that no booking was made for either London to Milan or Milan to New Delhi.
Referring to various general conditions of the carriage, it pleaded that if there was any lapse, it was on the part of its travel agent who had booked the tickets.
Gurgaon-based travel agency, on its part, sought the dismissal of the complaint claiming it was only a seller of the ticket and was not responsible for the wrongful act of the Airlines.
The Forum, however, held both