A district consumer dispute resolution commission in Chandigarh recently ordered Air India to pay ₹50,000 as compensation to two senior citizens who were forced to sit on broken seats on an Air India flight from New York to Delhi. [Rajesh Chopra and Anr. v Air India Ltd]

A Presidential Coram Pawanjit Singh and member Suresh Kumar Sardana found from the evidence that the seats were defective and caused physical discomfort to the complainants.

“The complainants had purchased two business class air tickets for Rs 8,24,964 from New York to Delhi and the seats allotted to the complainants were defective as they did not slip or move forward, resulting in the complainant no During the long flight the complainant suffered from physical pain and discomfort due to the swelling in his legs and feet. The commission stated this in its order of February 2nd.

The complainants had booked business class tickets for almost ₹800,000 as it allowed them to travel comfortably and hassle-free. One of the complainants was disabled and had traveled to the USA for physiotherapy sessions.

Because the seats on the plane were broken, they had to prop their feet on stools during the 14-hour journey. Despite complaints, the airline failed to remedy the situation, leading to legal action.

To support their case, the complainants presented evidence including ticket receipts, medical records, photos of the defective seats and correspondence with the airline.

Based on this evidence, the Commission found that the airline's services were deficient and ordered compensation of ₹50,000 for mental anguish and harassment and ₹10,000 as legal costs.