Airlines ordered to pay Rs 20 lakh compensation to passenger

Chennai, Nov 5: A 70 year-old businessman has been awarded Rs 20 lakh as compensation by State Consumer Redressal Commission after a German airline downgraded his ticket during his flight from Frankfurt four years ago.

Complainant Shiv Prakash Goenka had contended that he had opted for Business class travel in Lufthansa Airlines for health reasons during his trip to Frankfurt and Madrid in 2010 as well as for the return journey. In his complaint he claimed that the airline staff had downgraded his ticket to economy class and gave him a compensation voucher for Euros 1500 for surrendering his seat.

On return, he moved the Commission for refund of his ticket cost of Rs 2.5 lakh besides claiming Rs 95 lakh in damages for the mental agony he had suffered. On its part, the airline argued that he was offered two Economy Class seats and that he had also accepted the compensation voucher but the Commission took cognisance of the senior citizen's age, saying he could not argue and fight with the staff fearing he could miss the flight. The Commission directed the airline to refund the ticket fare and pay Rs 20 lakh as compensation to Goenka.

PTI