Airline pays compensation of Rs. 1 lakh
How many times have you gone on an airplane and bothered to read about the terms of the compensation that you would get if you if the airline lost your luggage. On a more painful note, how many times have you suffered when the airline has indeed lost your luggage, and the airline has not bothered to do much except offer you empty words, and some paltry compensation ? In fact, most airlines offer amounts that can never compensate for the problems you suffer when some important luggage (or even your best clothes) / important personal items, extra are lost, but they do offer something like $20 per KG. In most cases, you may get your luggage after a delay of 1-2 days, but you may be in a strange city, and the inconvenience of having to run after your luggage can be fairly painful. Well, a gentleman refused to take this lying down after suffering, and challenged the airline in consumer court:
NEW DELHI: The state consumer commission has directed Emirates airline to pay Rs 2 lakh compensation to a doctor of Indraprastha Apollo Hospital for the loss of baggage in transit as well as tampered baggage on the return journey. The airline pleaded that as per the Carriage Act it was liable to pay a sum of US $20 per kg only and with respect to damage of suitcase, it reimbursed US $150 as an interim relief at Athens.
This did not find favour with Justice Kapoor who noted,”Liability under the Consumer Protection Act arises from the offence of deficiency of service which is to be judged independently. Loss of baggage, non-delivery, late delivery and pilferage is in itself a deficiency in service. Hence the consumer who suffers mental agony and harassment needs to be compensated.”
One does not know whether this will be appealed in higher court, and whether these terms will stand, but this judgment is a good judgment; till now airlines have typically not shown too many signs of caring for distressed passengers, maybe this will shake them. It should hopefully inspire more people not to take such treatment lying down.