A lawyer from Nagpur has accused IndiGo of making his 3-year-old child sit away from parents during a flight from Bagdogra to Kolkata. The incident has now gone viral on social media, with many people criticising airline seat allocation policies.

The lawyer, Gaurav Mishra, shared his experience on LinkedIn and claimed that the airline gave his family “random jumbled seats” even though all three passengers were travelling under the same booking and PNR.

According to Mishra, he paid around ₹44,000 for the tickets but was still not given seats together. He alleged that the airline expected passengers to pay extra for seat selection.

He also claimed that the move violated DGCA rules. Sharing a screenshot of the guideline, Mishra pointed out that airlines must ensure children up to 12 years old are seated with at least one parent or guardian if they are travelling under the same booking.

“In my case they forced my 3-year-old kid to sit unaccompanied despite the turbulence-prone Bagdogra to Kolkata route,” he wrote. He further added that the child felt emotionally disturbed during the journey.

IndiGo Responds

Reacting to the complaint, IndiGo apologised for the inconvenience caused to the family.

The airline explained that during the first part of the journey, seats 29A and 29B were already occupied by another mother and child, while Mishra’s family received seats 29C and 29D in the same row. For the second flight, the family was seated together on seats 28A and 28B.

IndiGo also stated that they tried contacting Mishra to discuss the issue further and assured that the feedback had been shared with the concerned team.

Social Media Reacts

The incident quickly sparked debate online, with many users slamming airlines for separating families during flights unless passengers pay extra for preferred seats.

One user called the situation “pathetic and insensitive,” while another said forcing a toddler to sit separately was both a safety and emotional concern.

Some users also claimed that several airlines now intentionally separate families and senior citizens during seat allocation to encourage paid seat selection.

The incident has once again raised questions about airline seating policies and whether families travelling with young children should automatically be seated together without extra charges.