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Mumbai. National Consumer Helpline (NCH) has found that customers are upset due to the arbitrariness of airlines companies. It has said that last year airline companies had received 10,000 complaints and of these, 50 percent people did not get refund even after the tickets were cancelled, while 47 percent people had to pay for the seats. According to data from the NCH, the airlines charge money for every seat but 15 percent of customers are not happy with the services of airline companies. Five percent of the passengers were not allowed to board despite having valid tickets. After this arbitrariness, the Consumer Affairs Ministry has called a meeting of officials of ticket booking websites and airlines companies on November 8.

Rohit Kumar Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, has said that the airline companies claim to provide the facility of mandatory web check-in to the customers for free, but they are charging money for every seat. There is constant difficulty in getting a free seat. According to the ministry, airline companies sometimes stop passengers with confirmed tickets from boarding. They are reluctant to even give refunds. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has taken a serious view of unfair trading activity. In most of the cases the air companies are making life difficult for the passengers.

Airlines companies charge Rs 150 to Rs 1,000 for a preferred seat. Passengers who do not select a seat by paying extra at the time of booking the ticket, get the seat during airport check-in. The Secretary said, while booking tickets through airline websites or travel portals, the department has observed that many customers feel that they have been cheated.

Despite the increase in passenger complaints, the government has indicated that it does not intend to interfere in the pricing mechanisms of airlines. The government's argument is that the airline market is highly competitive and passengers have a choice because they are told in advance how much a seat will cost. However, the Consumer Affairs Ministry has called a meeting of CEOs of domestic airlines and online travel portals to address the complaints of passengers.