GO AIRLINES (INDIA) PVT LIMITED Vs. PRADEEP LAL

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS is an appeal, directed against the judgment and order dated 22.4.2008 of the District Consumer Forum, Gautam Buddha Nagar whereby the appellant Go Airlines (India) Private Limited (herein after referred to as 'Airlines') was directed to refund Rs. 10,300, besides payment of a compensation of Rs. 10,000.

(2.) THE case of the two complainants Sri Pradeep Lal and Smt. Manju Lal, as pleaded in their complaint, was that on January 19, 2007 they booked two tickets from Delhi to Goa and back for journey to be conducted on 6.2.2007 and 11.2.2007 respectively under the hi -fi publicized scheme of one lac free tickets to be issued by the Airlines in various sectors. The complainant No. 1 opened the computer screen of the Airline's website and booked two tickets as indicated above through E -mail. The computer screen indicated Rs. 10,300 as journey fare of a ticket and Rs. 4,700 as the taxes. The complainant Sri Pradeep Lal made an endeavour to contact the authorities of the Airlines on telephone but all in vain. He had furnished by way of E -mail booking the necessary details of his credit card. As a matter of fact, the booking of the two tickets to Goa 'to and fro' was accepted by the Airlines in lieu of the sale of two ordinary tickets and neither any concession nor any credit had been extended under the free scheme 22. In this way the Airlines conducted unfair trade practice tempting the complainants and other public at large to buy the tickets on payment of usual charges. The complainants filed their complaint for refund of Rs. 10,300, besides a compensation of Rs.15,000.

(3.) THE Airlines conceded having notified the free ticket scheme but pleaded that the complainants failed to collect the correct information available on the Internet nor they had interpreted the information available, in the rightperspective. The complainants booked two tickets 'to and fro' to Goa in accordance with the terms and conditions provided by the Airlines. As a matter of fact, as pleaded further, issuance of one lac tickets was a devised planby allocating tickets to various sectors. It might be possible that all the free tickets might have been sold by the time the complainants booked their tickets. In that situation realization of the price of usual fare would have been followed. The complainants neither got their tickets cancelled nor deviated from undertaking the journey; rather derived full advantage of the journey. In this way the complainants were not entitled to claim any damages.