Tour firm gets the rap for deserting holidayers

KOLKATA: A dream trip to the Andamans turned into a nightmare for Bhopal Goswami and his family last year when they were left stranded on the island by their tour operator. A year later, a consumer court has slapped a hefty compensation on the firm.
Goswami and his travel group had booked a package tour of the Emerald Isles for Rs 68,540. They were to travel to Andamans by sea and were promised tickets for their return flight home.The agency promised to hand over the plane tickets before they boarded the ship, then after they landed in Port Blair, but did not.
When the Goswamis reached Port Blair on February 3, 2003, they were told a local agent would give them the tickets on the day they leave. On February 8, they did get the tickets but wait-listed ones. They returned from the airport and contacted the travel agency, which allegedly refused to help out.
The holidayers had to stay on for three more days till they got a connecting flight from Chennai on February 14, 2003. They ended up spending Rs 33,920 more.
Goswami then filed a complaint with the Kolkata district consumer disputes redressal forum. The travel agency denied the allegations, but could not come up with any documents to substantiate its argument.
On December 30, 2004, a three-member forum directed the agency to pay the Goswamis Rs 33,920, plus Rs 10,000 as compensation for “harassment� and Rs 2,000 as costs on other heads.