A 45-minute delay in their flight from San Francisco caused a couple to miss their connecting flight from New Delhi to Vijayawada in 2022. The Vijayawada district consumer commission has now directed the airline to pay them Rs 47,682. The couple had alleged that no satisfactory arrangements were made for their onward journey, food or accommodation.

President Chiranjeevi Nelapudi and member A Venkata Ramana observed that the failure to provide proper assistance amounts to deficiency in service and held the complainants entitled to compensation for the mental agony and inconvenience.

“The responsibility of an airline does not end merely with issuing tickets; it also includes treating passengers with dignity and providing reasonable assistance when difficulties arise due to flight delays and missed connections.…