Broken seats, poor food: Consumer Court directs AI to pay Rs 1.5 lakh to family

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission–VI at New Delhi recently directed Air India to pay Rs 1.5 lakh as compensation to a passenger and his daughter over a deficiency of service on a long-haul international flight. The father-daughter duo had complained about broken seats, non-functional in-flight entertainment systems, unhygienic washrooms, poor food service and lack of response from the cabin crew.

“Commission is of the view that the complainant will be entitled for compensation for causing mental agony and harassment for not providing the facilities for which a considerable amount was charged,” said the Commission, ordering the Air India to pay Rs 50,000 each to the complainant and his daughter, along with Rs 50,000 as litigation expenses.

However, the Commission declined the request for a refund of the ticket amount, noting that the passengers had completed the journey. The order was passed by a coram of President Poonam Chaudhry and member Shekhar Chandra in a complaint filed by Shailendra Bhatnagar, who travelled with his daughter on Air India’s Delhi–New York–Delhi flight in September 2023 on economy class tickets booked through MakeMyTrip.