A Chandigarh District Consumer Complaints Redressal Committee recently ordered Air India to reimburse two elderly passengers who were made to sit on damaged seats during an Air India trip from New York to Delhi with ₹50,000.
The Consumer court directs ₹50,000 Compensation to senior Couple for Broken business class Seats in the matter of Rajesh Chopra and Anr. Vs. Air India Ltd. The complainants experienced physical pain due to inadequate chairs, as per the observations made by the comprising committee members, President Pawanjit Singh and member Suresh Kumar Sardana.
According to the commission’s Order dated 12th of February, “The complainants had purchased two business class air tickets for Rs.8,24,964/- from New York to Delhi and the seats which were allotted to the complainants were defective since the same did not slide or moved forward as a result of which the complainant No.1 has suffered with physical pain and discomfort due to the swelling in his legs and feet throughout the long air journey by the complainants,.”
The complainants paid over ₹8 lakhs for business class tickets, expecting a comfortable and hassle-free journey. One of the complainants was disabled and had traveled to the United States for physiotherapy treatments.
They had to use stools to support their feet the whole 14-hour flight since the aircraft’s chairs were damaged. After receiving complaints, the airline did not take corrective action, resulting in a lawsuit.
To support their claims, the complainants produced documentation such as ticket receipts, medical records, pictures of the faulty seats, and contact with the airline.
The Commission concluded that the airline’s services were inadequate in light of this evidence, and it imposed ₹50,000 in compensation for mental distress and harassment in addition to ₹10,000 for litigation expenses.