The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Hyderabad has sided with Telangana’s Director General of Police (DGP), Ravi Gupta, and directed Singapore Airlines to provide Rs 2 lakh in compensation following his complaint regarding the ‘defective’ recliner seats on the airline.
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Hyderabad: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Hyderabad issued a ruling in favor of Telangana’s Director General of Police (DGP), Ravi Gupta, mandating Singapore Airlines to pay a compensation of Rs 2 lakh.
This decision came following a complaint lodged by Gupta regarding the malfunctioning recliner seats experienced during his flight.
Ravi Gupta and his wife, Anjali Gupta, were en route to Australia via Singapore from Hyderabad on May 23 of the previous year. They encountered significant discomfort as the electronic controls of their business class recliner seats failed, rendering the seats inoperative for the duration of the flight.
Despite the premium paid for the business class experience, the couple found themselves unable to use the reclining feature of their seats, leading to considerable inconvenience.
Each business class ticket cost Rs 66,750 which was Rs 48,750 more than the corresponding economy class fare. Given the malfunction, the couple felt that the additional expense did not provide the expected comfort or service.
After their initial complaint, Singapore Airlines offered to compensate with 10,000 KrisFlyer miles per person. However, the Guptas deemed this insufficient and pursued further action through the consumer commission.
The commission’s verdict was to refund the couple Rs 48,750 each, the additional amount paid over economy class fares, totaling Rs 97,500, with an added interest of 12 percent from May 23, 2023, until full payment is made.
Furthermore, for the mental distress and physical discomfort caused by the incident, the airline was directed to pay an additional Rs 1 lakh. The airline was also ordered to cover Rs 10,000 as legal costs incurred by the Guptas.
This ruling underscores the accountability of airlines to ensure that the services paid for by passengers meet the standards advertised and expected, particularly in higher travel classes such as business class.
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