A woman boarded a flight to Bengaluru but landed at London Airport. This was due to a reroute, leading to a consumer court imposing a fine of ₹1.66 lakh on the airline.

The woman reached London while on her way to Bengaluru.

You've probably heard the song, "We were going to Japan, but we reached China." Something like this has happened in real life. The countries are different, but the situation is similar. Recently, a woman traveling from Canada to Bengaluru had her flight diverted and ended up at London Airport, where she faced significant difficulties.

The woman didn't have a UK visa. Despite this, she had to travel to London, where British Airways refused to provide her with a boarding pass to board her next flight to Bengaluru. Now, the Bengaluru Consumer Court has ordered the airline to pay approximately ₹1.66 lakh.

What is the whole matter?
This case concerns Bhadrapriya Shivakumar, a PhD student in Canada. She was planning a trip from Saskatoon, Canada, via Bengaluru. Bhadrapriya booked a round-trip air ticket through EaseMyTrip on January 17, 2024, costing ₹138,945. Her journey was scheduled to begin on August 1, 2024.

But that day, her WestJet flight from Saskatoon to Toronto was cancelled. The airline then arranged for her to reach Bengaluru via Calgary and London. This change forced Bhadrapriya to arrive at London's Heathrow Airport.

Woman Troubled at London Airport
After arriving in London, Bhadrapriya was scheduled to catch a British Airways flight to Bengaluru. However, the airline refused to issue her a boarding pass, citing a booking issue. According to Bhadrapriya, she arrived at the airport approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes before the flight's departure. Despite this, she was unable to board the flight to India.

The biggest problem was that he didn't have a UK visa. Stuck in London, he struggled to arrange his luggage and onward travel. He also faced problems with food and accommodation. Eventually, he had to ask his roommate in Canada for financial help.

He then purchased a new ticket for an Etihad Airways flight to Bengaluru on August 4, 2024. This ticket cost him ₹165,926. He also had to book a separate ticket to return to Canada.

The airline offered an explanation.
British Airways claimed that the woman had failed to check in on time for its flight from Toronto to London. Consequently, she was considered a no-show, or "no-show," and her future bookings were cancelled. However, the Consumer Court found that the airline failed to provide the necessary documentation to support its claim.

The Consumer Court's decision
concluded that British Airways failed to provide the woman with adequate assistance and that its service was deficient. The commission ordered the airline to compensate the woman for the losses she suffered. British Airways was required to pay ₹138,945 for the original air ticket, ₹25,000 for the inconvenience caused to the woman, and ₹2,000 for legal action.