The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has expressed concerns to both airlines and online travel aggregators regarding their alleged involvement in unfair trade practices. These questionable practices encompass designating all seats as ‘paid,’ despite promoting a “free mandatory web check-in” that turns out to be misleading. Additionally, they involve incidents where passengers with confirmed tickets are denied boarding and the delayed issuance of refunds.
Consumer Affairs Secretary Flags Airlines’ Manipulative Online Practices as ‘Dark Patterns’
According to an article in the Times of India, during discussions on this matter, Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh highlighted that airlines are structuring their online interfaces in a manner that undermines consumer autonomy and manipulates decision-making, a strategy commonly referred to as a “dark pattern.”
The article further outlined that the department asserted that the utilization of such tactics exploits consumers’ interests and falls under the category of unfair trade practices as defined by the Consumer Protection Act.
Government Faces Challenges in Addressing Passenger Complaints Against Airlines
Despite frequent complaints from passengers regarding these practices, often submitted through the well-known Air Seva service, the government has encountered challenges in compelling airlines to effectively address these issues.
During the meeting, the consumer affairs secretary emphasized that the substantial volume of grievances signifies that consumer complaints are not being adequately resolved. In the past year, the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) received nearly 10,000 complaints related to airlines, as reported by the department. A meeting with the CEOs of all the relevant companies has also been scheduled to address these issues.
