A consumer commission in Chhattisgarh has ordered Vistara to pay ₹1 lakh to a district judge who was denied boarding at the last minute after the airline overbooked his flight.
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Raipur found the airline guilty of deficiency in service and an unfair trade practice, holding that a passenger with a confirmed ticket could not simply be left without a seat at the time of departure.
The airline had already refunded four times the value of the ticket, but the commission said that amount did not adequately address the inconvenience and financial, physical and mental hardship caused to Bhupendra Kumar Vasnikar. Vistara was also ordered to pay ₹10,000 towards litigation costs.
The dispute dates back to a family trip to Kashmir in May 2023. Vasnikar, then serving as an Additional District Judge in Kanker, had booked return tickets for himself, his wife and their two children. The family was scheduled to travel from Delhi to Raipur on Vistara flight UK-797 on May 28.
They arrived at the airport nearly four hours before departure, but the family allegedly spent close to three hours waiting at the airline’s counter without receiving boarding passes or an explanation.
As the departure time drew closer, airline staff reportedly told them that seats were available for only three of the four passengers. Vasnikar then sent his wife and children on the flight while he stayed back in Delhi.
Vistara acknowledged that the denial of boarding was linked to overbooking, arguing that the practice is recognised under applicable aviation regulations. The airline also said it had attempted to find an alternative flight but could not secure another seat, and therefore paid compensation equivalent to four times the ticket fare.
That, however, did not settle the matter.
Vasnikar had to purchase a new IndiGo ticket for the following day and spend an additional night in Delhi, incurring expenses for accommodation, food and transport. He also alleged that his confirmed seat had been cancelled at the last moment and resold at a higher fare.
The commission said Vistara had failed to provide a convincing explanation for why a confirmed passenger was denied a seat.
The order noted that the airline had remained silent on why Vasnikar could not be accommodated despite his confirmed booking, leading the commission to conclude that the seat may have been sold to another passenger at a higher price.
The commission further held that the four-times fare refund did not erase the consequences of the airline’s conduct. It found that denying boarding in the circumstances amounted to both a deficiency in service and an unfair trade practice.
Vistara has been given 45 days to pay the ₹1 lakh compensation and ₹10,000 in litigation costs. If the litigation amount is not paid within that period, it will attract interest at 7% annually until the payment is made.
