Air India Has Reimbursed a Foster City, Calif

Air India has reimbursed a Foster City, Calif., traveler $2,038 after initially refusing to cover the fare difference for a replacement flight on another airline, a promise the carrier made in a notice distributed at San Francisco International Airport. Amartya, a passenger, was scheduled to fly Air India from San Francisco to Delhi and then to Kolkata on May 31, 2024, to attend his mother's surgery three days later. After a five-hour wait, the flight was canceled for operational reasons, and the notice offered reimbursement, rebooking, or coverage of the fare difference if he booked with another airline.

He rebooked on an Air India flight for June 1, but it was delayed, causing him to miss his connection and the surgery. He then bought a round-trip Emirates economy ticket for $3,855, which was $2,038 more than his original $1,817 fare, which Air India refunded. The airline repeatedly refused to pay the difference, even after he complained to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

After The New York Times contacted Air India, the airline paid the $2,038 difference, albeit two years late. canceled due to operational reasons.