87% of IndiGo fliers want Class Action under CP Act over service issues: Survey

A class action provision is a legal mechanism that allows a group of people with a common grievance to collectively sue a company for acts like mismanagement or fraud.

87% of IndiGo passengers surveyed by LocalCircles believe the airline’s recent service deficiencies should be taken up under the Class Action provision of the Consumer Protection Act (CP Act) 2019, the community platform said on Saturday.

A class action provision allows a group of consumers with a common grievance to collectively pursue legal remedies against a company over issues such as mismanagement or fraud.

The survey was conducted in the backdrop of IndiGo cancelling hundreds of flights over the past four days, leaving thousands of passengers stranded across airports as fares surged sharply. LocalCircles said the disruptions triggered a wave of complaints from fliers, extending beyond cancellations and delays.

“Many IndiGo fliers raised serious concerns about refund integrity (deductions and delays), failed ‘zero-cancellation/insurance’ promises, shifting itineraries without consent, and lack of adequate compensation or support even when they missed crucial flights,” the platform said.

The survey asked respondents: “Should the CCPA take up service deficiency of IndiGo under Class Action provision of the Consumer Protection Act 2019?”

According to LocalCircles, out of 32,547 respondents, 87% said ‘yes, absolutely’, 3% said ‘no, not needed’, and 10% did not give a clear answer.

“To sum up, 87 per cent of airline passengers surveyed want CCPA to take up service deficiency of IndiGo under Class Action provision of the Consumer Protection Act 2019,” the statement said.

Many passengers who accepted cancellations — or cancelled their own bookings — reported that refunds received were “well below the fare paid,” despite the airline’s stated assurances of “100 per cent refund,” the survey noted.

The exercise received over 30,000 responses from consumers across 303 districts in the country.