Hey everyone, looking for advice/experiences from anyone who has taken an airline (specifically IndiGo) to Consumer Court or escalated via AirSewa for consequential losses.

My friend and I are full-time international university students in Russia. We were returning to resume our semester via a domestic IndiGo flight (Chennai–Bengaluru–Goa) connecting to an international Qatar Airways flight from Goa.

Ticket & PNR Structure:

• IndiGo Domestic: Chennai (MAA) → Bengaluru (BLR) → Goa (GOX) on a Single PNR.
• Qatar Airways International: Goa (GOX) → Russia on a Separate PNR.

Here is what happened:

1. The Tarmac Bus & Delay in Chennai:

• We were boarded onto the tarmac bus at Chennai Airport in torrential rain and kept trapped inside for 45+ minutes with zero updates or proper ventilation.
• Before departure, we explicitly informed the Chennai cabin crew about our tight onward international connection on Qatar Airways. They gave us verbal assurances that they had notified the Bengaluru (BLR) team and "everything was taken care of."

2. Crew Error:

• The flight was severely delayed. Upon landing in Bengaluru (~9:00 PM), our connecting flight to Goa had already departed.
• The IndiGo Station Manager in Bengaluru admitted that the delay occurred because a crew member negligently opened the aircraft door during heavy rain in Chennai, letting water seep into the cabin.
• The BLR ground crew also revealed that they had explicitly instructed the Chennai team to cancel the flight, but the Chennai crew ignored the directive and took off anyway.

3. Gross Misconduct & Denial of Basic Rights (DGCA Violations):

• Ground staff attempted to evade liability by telling us: "This is IndiGo Bengaluru, IndiGo Chennai made the mistake so we can't take responsibility."
• When we pressed for assistance, Manager Himanshu rudely responded: "Did I ask you to book in IndiGo?"
• Despite being stranded overnight until a 7:15 AM return flight, IndiGo flatly refused to provide hotel accommodation or lounge access (violating DGCA CAR Section 3, Series M, Part IV), claiming "the hotel is too far" and "we have no lounge tie-up." They forced us to sit on airport benches for 10 hours overnight.

4. The Financial & Academic Impact:

• Missed International Connection: We had to cancel our Qatar Airways flight to avoid complete forfeiture under "No-Show" status, incurring ~₹10,000 per passenger in cancellation penalties.
• Loss of Add-ons: We lost 100% of our prepaid 15 kg excess baggage fees.
• Academic Loss: Because of this disruption, we missed our reporting date at our university in Russia and were forced to apply for emergency academic leave, missing mandatory classes.

Action Taken So Far:

I have officially emailed a Legal Notice to IndiGo's Nodal Officer (nodalofficer@goindigo.in), Appellate Authority, and Customer Experience team giving them a 7-day deadline to refund both domestic tickets, baggage fees, reimburse the Qatar cancellation penalties, and pay compensation for harassment and academic loss.

My Questions for the Reddit Community:

1. AirSewa vs. Consumer Court (E-Daakhil): Should I wait out the full 30-day AirSewa SLA, or should I file an E-Daakhil petition immediately after the 7-day legal notice period ends?
2. Consequential Losses Precedents: Has anyone successfully recovered third-party international cancellation fees caused by domestic airline delays in Indian Consumer Commissions? Any specific ruling citations or case numbers would be immensely helpful!

Appreciate any advice or insights from lawyers, frequent flyers, or people who have navigated this before. Thanks in advance!