Telangana DGP sue Singapore Airlines over faulty recliner seat, gets THIS much compensation

The incident occurred in May 2023 when Mr. Gupta and his wife, Anjali Gupta, were flying from Hyderabad to Australia via Singapore.

Edited By: Mayank Kasyap

Last Updated : 25 April 2024, 08:34 PM IST

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New Delhi: In a consumer court victory, Telangana's Director General of Police (DGP), Ravi Gupta, has been awarded ₹2 lakh compensation from Singapore Airlines for a malfunctioning business class seat.

The incident occurred in May 2023 when Mr. Gupta and his wife, Anjali Gupta, were flying from Hyderabad to Australia via Singapore. They had booked business class (Z) tickets, which promised electronically controlled reclining seats. However, throughout the journey from Hyderabad to Singapore, the electronic controls failed, rendering the seats non-reclining.

Discomfort at a premium price

The inoperable seats significantly impacted the Guptas' travel experience. Despite paying a premium of ₹48,750 per ticket – significantly higher than the economy class fare of ₹18,000 – they were unable to enjoy the expected comfort of a business class seat.

In their complaint, the Guptas argued that the airline essentially provided them with an economy class experience with only the benefit of extra legroom. Singapore Airlines initially offered 10,000 KrisFlyer miles per person as compensation, which the Guptas deemed insufficient.

Court recognizes discomfort and awards compensation

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-III in Hyderabad ruled in favor of the Guptas. The court ordered Singapore Airlines to:

Reimburse the difference between the business and economy class fares – a total of ₹97,500 for both passengers.
Pay an additional ₹1 lakh as compensation for the mental and physical suffering caused by the inoperable seats.
Reimburse ₹10,000 towards the cost of filing the complaint.

A reminder for airlines and passengers

This case highlights the importance of airlines upholding their promises to passengers, particularly when it comes to premium travel experiences. It also demonstrates that consumer courts can be a recourse for passengers who encounter issues during their flights.

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Telangana DGP sue Singapore Airlines over faulty recliner seat, gets THIS much compensation