Ravi Gupta, a senior police officer hailing from Telangana, alongside his spouse, embarked on a journey from Hyderabad to Australia via Singapore in May of the preceding year, as per the New York Post. Despite shelling out Rs 66,750 for plush business-class seats, their flight turned out to be far from seamless. The much-anticipated automatic reclining mechanism failed them, necessitating manual adjustments throughout the five-hour ordeal, much to their dismay. Naturally, the experience left them exasperated, prompting them to lodge a formal complaint.
Consequently, Singapore Airlines finds itself compelled to shell out a hefty sum of over 2,040 pounds (equivalent to Rs 213,585) to assuage the couple's 'mental agony'.
Initially, the airline extended an olive branch in the form of 10,000 frequent flyer miles or loyalty points for both passengers. However, dissatisfied with this gesture, the couple opted to pursue legal action against the airline, asserting that they were made to endure treatment akin to economy-class passengers. In the dossier presented to the consumer redressal commission, they maintained their vigilance throughout the entire journey.
In a recent development, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Telangana ruled in favor of the aggrieved couple, instructing Singapore Airlines to cough up $2,400 as compensation for the 'mental agony' inflicted upon them, coupled with the physical discomfort endured.
Responding to the verdict, Singapore Airlines clarified, as reported by The Independent, that the manual reclining function remained operational throughout the flight, and no other issues were reported during their connecting flight from Singapore to Perth.