Margao, Oct 28 (TNN): The South Goa Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed Jet Airways (India) Ltd to pay over Rs 20,600 as compensation to a passenger couple who complained about hardships faced due to the "arrogant" behaviour of the ground staff.

Margao-based complainants, Vivek Vas and his wife, Zenia Fernandes, booked round-trip Goa-Mumbai tickets with Jet Airways for themselves and their infant child for October 31, 2005 and November 7, 2005.

While their flight to Mumbai was uneventful, at the time of their return they claimed they and their child were put to great hardships and embarrassment by the airline's ground staff.

When they presented their tickets, the original ticket leaf pertaining to the return travel of their child was missing, it contained only a carbon copy.

The complaints claimed that despite repeated requests to the staff to check the correct position of the ticket of their child-in-arms, the ground staff arrogantly required the complainant to purchase another ticket for their child, which was reluctantly purchased to avoid inconvenience to themselves.

Penning the order on behalf of the forum, president Jayant Prabhu and member Savita Kurtarkar partly allowed the complaint and directed the managing director of Jet Airways (India) Ltd, Panaji, to pay 15,000 as compensation to the complainants with an interest rate of 9% per annum from the date of institution of the complaints till its actual payment.

The company has to also refund the complainants the 600 paid towards the additional return fare of the child, and an additional 5,000 towards the costs of the present complaint.

The forum in its observation pointed out that Jet Airways had offered the refund of 600 and a gratis ticket to an adult, which made the forum believe that the airline had committed a mistake somewhere and therefore, not as a matter of gesture or goodwill but as a matter of repentance they offered the gratis ticket.