Don’t show every seat as paid, Centre warns airlines, portals

The consumer affairs ministry in India has expressed concerns over unfair trade practices by airlines and online travel aggregators. These practices include misleading claims of “free mandatory web check-in” and denying boarding to customers with confirmed tickets. The ministry has flagged the issue of airlines designing online interfaces to manipulate consumer decision-making. These practices are considered deceptive and exploitative, and are classified as unfair trade practices under the Consumer Protection Act.