A Chennai court has imposed a fine of Rs 55,000 on Lufthansa Airlines for the trouble faced by an elderly couple on a flight to Frankfurt. In this 10-hour flight, the elderly couple had to face a lot of trouble due to wet seat. According to the news of Times of India, he was also abused. Their journey was made worse by delays and misconnections, a scheduled ferry was missed and delayed again due to a fuel leak. The elderly couple had asked for a compensation of Rs 3.50 lakh for this problem but a Chennai court awarded a compensation of Rs 55,000. Dissatisfied, the couple has appealed for more compensation.
threat of being thrown off the plane
According to reports, Joju Dominic, 69, and his wife Jasmine, 65, had booked round-trip tickets from Chennai to Vancouver via Frankfurt for Rs 3.5 lakh. His troubles began on June 12, 2023, when his Chennai-Frankfurt flight was delayed by 90 minutes for cleaning. Because of this he had to wait in the aerobridge. Upon boarding the flight, they found that their seats were drenched and water was dripping from the overhead compartment. Joju says he did not get any help. When he complained, the cabin crew even threatened to remove him from the plane.
Had to miss the connecting flight
After much inconvenience, they were given alternative seats, reports said. The flight staff blamed the Chennai climate for the problem and suggested using blankets to deal with the dripping water. At Frankfurt Airport, delays and lack of assistance caused him to miss his connecting Air Canada flight to Vancouver. After much argument with airline staff, he was able to get a seat on a later flight, but was unable to catch his scheduled ferry to Canada due to delays.
Demanded compensation equal to the cost of the ticket
On October 3, 2023, the couple was taken to a service center at Frankfurt Airport, where Joju alleged that she was treated badly. He had to walk about 2 kilometers to reach the accommodation as he was denied even the pre-booked wheelchair assistance. Joju alleged inadequate food provisions during the delay and said they had run out of essential medicines. The couple demanded compensation of Rs 3.5 lakh, equal to the cost of their tickets. The airline was ordered to pay Rs 55,000 for mental anguish and legal costs. The commission said the couple was provided with alternative arrangements.
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