The government is calling for action in response to unfair airline practices, citing “Every Seat Can’t Be Paid”

Concerns about purported unfair commercial practices have been brought up with all airlines and online travel agencies by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs. These methods include refusing boarding to consumers who have confirmed tickets, withholding refunds, and marking every seat as “paid” despite their deceptive promise of providing a “free mandatory web check-in.”

According to an article, consumer affairs secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said during talks on the subject that airlines were using a method known as a “dark pattern” to structure their web interfaces in a manner that subverts customer sovereignty and influences decision-making.

The government said that using such strategies exploits customers’ interests and is considered unfair trading practices under the Consumer Protection Act, according to the report.

Although travelers have often voiced their disapproval of these practices, usually via the much-publicized Air Seva service, the government has not been able to force airlines to fully address them.

During the discussion, the consumer affairs secretary emphasized that a significant number of complaints suggests that customer issues are not being handled efficiently.

According to the agency, National Consumer Helpline (NCH) received around 10,000 complaints against airlines last year. This and other concerns will be discussed in a scheduled meeting with the CEOs of all the firms.