Lisa Ray criticises Air India for 'denying' medical waiver on ticket cancellation
PTC Web Desk: Indian-Canadian actor Lisa Ray has publicly criticised Air India for refusing to grant a medical waiver on a ticket she had to cancel due to her 92-year-old father’s illness. The actor took to social media to express her frustration, stating that despite submitting a doctor’s letter, her cancellation fee was not waived.
The Tata-owned airline responded by saying it is looking into the matter. However, airline sources clarified that Lisa Ray had booked a non-refundable ticket through a third-party travel agent, and the refusal of the waiver came from the agent, not Air India.
Expressing her disappointment, the 52-year-old actress, known for her role in the 2005 Hindi film 'Water', questioned the airline’s lack of compassion.
"Here we go again @airindia. My father is 92, unwell, and I have to cancel travel due to his ailing condition. Submitted doctors' letter and the waiver was denied? How is that possible? Where is the empathy from an airline that is claiming to care about passengers?" she wrote.
Responding to her post, Air India expressed concern and requested Ray’s email address or case ID to investigate the issue. "Dear Ms Ray, we empathise with your concern and wish your father a speedy recovery. Please help us with the email address from which you've written to us or the case ID (if any) via DM. We'll look into it," the airline replied.
According to sources, the airline had offered to reschedule the flight, but Ray declined the option.
Lisa Ray booked her ticket for Rs 5,500, but the cancellation fee amounted to Rs 4,000, which she found unjustified. However, she clarified that her concern was about principle rather than money.
She further compared her experience with Emirates, claiming that the airline had previously granted her a full refund in a similar medical emergency. "In the case of a legitimate medical emergency, most airlines refund the amount after providing proper proof—which I did from my father’s neurosurgeon. Why should a customer be penalised for an emergency, especially when other airlines don’t? If this is how Air India treats emergencies, it should be made public," she argued.
Lisa Ray is not the first high-profile individual to criticise Air India for poor customer service. The airline has faced multiple complaints in recent months, including from Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan (February 2025), who claimed he was allotted a broken seat on a Bhopal-Delhi flight.
Air India has acknowledged complaints in most cases, expressing regret for customer inconvenience and stating that it takes feedback seriously.
- With inputs from agencies
