The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-II, South Delhi, has ruled in favor of a Delhi resident, Karan Pradeep, directing Malaysia Airlines to refund over Rs 65,000 with interest. MakeMyTrip (India) Pvt. Ltd. has been ordered to pay compensation for deficient service related to cancelled international tickets during the Covid-19 pandemic. Pradeep had booked two international tickets for Malaysia Airlines through Make My Trip in October 2019 as a wedding gift.
The passengers were set to travel from Delhi to Kuala Lumpur on March 13, 2020, then to Manila on March 14, and back to Delhi on March 21, 2020. Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, flights were canceled as Manila was under lockdown from March 15 to April 14, 2020. Malaysia Airlines offered an “Ultimate Flexibility Ticket Change Policy” for eligible passengers, allowing unlimited date changes and flexibility in destination changes.
Following the pandemic’s impact, Pradeep tried to reschedule the tickets under the new policy but faced issues with MakeMyTrip’s customer care. Despite being assured of a refund request initiation, the refund was delayed. Pradeep also faced challenges with the airline’s flexibility and open ticket policies, being directed back and forth between the airline and the booking platform. The consumer forum rejected objections on limitation and ruled in favor of the complaint filed in November 2023.
The Commission noted that while the airline had to cancel flights due to unprecedented circumstances, it could not withhold the amount paid by Pradeep. Make My Trip was also held accountable for not facilitating the refund process smoothly. The final order required Malaysia Airlines to refund Rs 65,802 with interest and Make My Trip to pay Rs 25,000 for deficient service. Both entities were directed to jointly pay Rs 30,000 for mental agony and harassment, with a three-month compliance deadline.
