SpiceJet Fined ₹1 Lakh for Deceptive Booking Practices

New Delhi – The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has levied a fine of ₹1 lakh on low-cost airline SpiceJet for allegedly employing misleading practices in its ticket booking process. This action is part of ongoing concerns regarding the airline's operational challenges.

According to the CCPA, the penalty arises from the use of what is known as 'dark patterns,' which are deceptive design strategies that can influence consumer choices unfavourably. This includes automatic add-ons during the purchase process, forced upselling, and default selections that require no affirmative action from consumers, such as automatic enrolment into the airline's loyalty programme.

The CCPA highlighted that SpiceJet violated several provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, which governs unfair trade practices, misleading representations, and unfair contracts. Specifically, the airline was found to have breached Rule 4(9) of the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020. This regulation mandates that companies must obtain explicit consumer consent for such practices.

In the ruling, the authority noted that consumers had been automatically enrolled in the Spice Club Loyalty Programme via a pre-ticked checkbox. Customers were also presumed to consent to receive promotional communications by default. The CCPA stated, “Despite previous notifications, the company continued to employ similar tactics by merely changing to another pre-ticked option for promotional messaging via text and email.” The authority raised further concerns about the language used in consent forms, stating it could mislead consumers.

CCPA representatives asserted that using such methods infringes upon consumer autonomy and undermines informed decision-making, which contradicts the principles of fair engagement with consumers. Following the findings, SpiceJet responded by claiming that the issue stemmed from a technical error. The airline was instructed to provide an undertaking asserting that corrective measures will be adopted permanently.

Industry experts have voiced their discontent regarding the light nature of the penalty. Captain Sam Thomas, president of the Airline Pilots Association of India, remarked, “A ₹1 lakh fine for an airline is laughable. Penalties of this size are unlikely to deter such practices. Other airlines are employing similar tactics.” He referenced IndiGo, which faced a far more substantial penalty of ₹22 crore for operational disruptions as a point of comparison.

Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi shared details about the CCPA ruling on social media, highlighting the authority’s commitment to consumer rights. SpiceJet did not respond to inquiries regarding the matter, leaving the industry divided on the implications of the ruling and the efficacy of the regulation surrounding consumer protection.