Qatar Airways and EaseMyTrip ordered to pay Rs 3 lakh over cancelled ticket refund

A consumer disputes redressal commission in Hyderabad has ordered Qatar Airways and travel platform EaseMyTrip to refund flight tickets and pay compensation totalling over Rs 3 lakh to a passenger who cancelled his overseas journey following a malignant brain tumour diagnosis.

The Hyderabad District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-III held both companies jointly and severally liable for deficiency in service, ruling that consumer protection mechanisms in India ensure citizens cannot be subjected to bureaucratic runarounds during critical medical emergencies.

What happened to the passenger

Raghuram Yamarthi and his wife booked return tickets from Hyderabad to Atlanta through EaseMyTrip on 2 August 2024, paying Rs 1,86,168. Their flight was scheduled to depart on 2 December 2024.

On 1 November 2024, Yamarthi suffered a sudden seizure. Subsequent medical tests identified a malignant brain tumour. He underwent brain surgery on 12 November and doctors advised six weeks of immediate radiation therapy, making travel impossible.

Yamarthi notified Qatar Airways of his condition on 11 November, requesting cancellation and a complete refund under the carrier's medical policy. The airline instructed him to contact EaseMyTrip directly because the purchase went through an intermediary.

He contacted the agency on 15 November and submitted medical records on 17 November. However, the airline later rejected the waiver, claiming the submission was delayed. EaseMyTrip subsequently proposed a partial refund of roughly Rs 95,000 under ordinary cancellation terms. After issuing a legal notice that went unresolved, Yamarthi filed a formal consumer complaint.

What the commission ruled

The commission bench, comprising President M Ramgopal Reddy and members J Shyamala and D Sreedevi, reviewed the medical certificates, correspondence and company responses. It found that the passenger had strictly followed established guidelines by alerting the companies promptly and presenting authentic medical records.

The bench rejected the attempt by both businesses to shift responsibility between each other. The commission noted that Qatar Airways' own published policy permits refunds for passengers diagnosed with terminal or serious conditions before travel, provided valid medical certification is supplied.

"The complainant No.1 had produced medical records showing that the request for cancellation was not made casually or merely for personal convenience," the bench observed, adding that travellers dealing with severe health crises should not be compelled to chase service providers repeatedly.

The order against Qatar Airways and EaseMyTrip

The commission directed both companies to comply with the ruling within 45 days of receiving the order.

The ruling reinforces statutory protections enforced across India's consumer dispute redressal framework, upholding fair commercial conduct by international airlines and domestic aggregators operating within the country.