Consumer Redressal

I booked an air India flight from Jodhpur to Mumbai for 4th May 2020 for my wife and my daughter. I was told by Paytm through whom I booked the ticket that entire money will be refunded if the flight doesn’t take off. Now I have been told that in case of cancellation I will get no refund. In case I don’t cancel the ticket air India will preserve the value of my ticket till September 2020. I have written several mails to paytm and air India but it seems there is no solution available. I am writing this mail to suggest why the refund policy of air India provide no respite to middle class persons like me. Why I think their refund policy is nothing but means to dupe a person: 1. Why did air India/paytm started taking the flight bookings when there was no certainty? 2. Could they give me exact date by when the flight operations will resume so that I can plan accordingly. Right now we are neither here nor there 3. We are based out of Mumbai and we cannot stay in Jodhpur forever in anticipation of flight resumption 4. You say that my ticket will be preserved till September. Why are you forcing me to use the ticket by September. Why it should it not be preserved forever in case this is the policy you want to adopt 5. You say same passenger need to travel. Why should this condition be thrusted upon me when you are the one who cancelled the flight 6. You say I will have to pay for the difference in fare. Why I am the one to suffer while air India enjoys my hard earned money 7. This COVID situation isn’t going anywhere and you are forcing me to travel by holding the ticket value only till September with unreasonable limitations 8. The flight was booked to bring back my family on a stipulated day. I can understand delay of few days in extraordinary situation like these but you have left me high and dry 9. Do you want me to keep guessing the resumption date or should I get back my family 10. If I make some other arrangements to get my family back I have to incur time and money on that avenue and also have to pay for a flight that never took off 11. Government is doing all the humanitarian work to bring back Indians stranded overseas but what about honest tax payers like me A policy like this baffles me completely. In India rich get richer, poor get government support but it’s the middle class salaried people like us who pay taxes on behalf of all but are also the most exploited. I certainly do not expect this profiteering attitude from a national carrier and am confident that you will give justice.