CHENNAI: An elderly couple’s traumatic experience aboard a 10-hour Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt, where they endured wet seats and dripping water for a large part of the journey, has led to a Chennai court penalising the airline for deficient service. The ordeal extended beyond the flight, with delays and mishandling disrupting their journey and causing financial and emotional distress.
Joju Dominic, 69, and his wife Jasmine, 65, had booked round-trip tickets from Chennai to Vancouver via Frankfurt for Rs 3.5 lakh. Their trouble began on June 12, 2023, when their Chennai-Frankfurt flight was delayed by 90 minutes for cleaning, leaving them waiting in the aerobridge.
Upon boarding, they discovered their seats were soaked, with water dripping from the overhead compartment. Joju claimed they received no help, and a cabin crew even threatened to deplane him when he complained. “The staff blamed the issue on Chennai’s climate and suggested we use a blanket to deal with the dripping water,” he said. After prolonged inconvenience, they were offered alternative seats.
At Frankfurt airport, delays and lack of priority assistance caused them to miss their connecting Air Canada flight to Vancouver. Following arguments with airline staff, they were eventually accommodated on a later flight, but the delay caused them to miss their scheduled ferry in Canada.
The return journey was equally harrowing. Shortly after take-off, the aircraft reported a fuel leakage and returned to Frankfurt. At Frankfurt airport on Oct 3, 2023, the couple was directed to a service centre, where Joju alleged they were treated harshly. Despite their age, their request for accommodation till the rescheduled flight was initially denied. Later, they had to walk nearly 2km to reach the lodging as they were also denied pre-booked wheelchair assistance.
Joju alleged inadequate meal provisions during the delay and said they ran out of essential medicines.
The couple sought Rs 3.5 lakh in compensation, equivalent to the cost of their tickets. The airline was ordered to pay Rs 55,000 for mental agony and legal costs. The commission said alternative arrangements were provided to the couple, which justified the limited compensation. Dissatisfied with the ruling, Joju has appealed to the state consumer commission, seeking higher compensation for their ordeal.