Paid $50 extra for ‘broken’ seat in 16-hour flight, Punjab man wins Rs 35,000 payout

3 min readNew DelhiJul 13, 2026 07:00 PM IST

The complainant alleged that his issue wasn't resolved despite raising it with the crew. (Image generated using AI)

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Jalandhar, has directed Air India to pay Rs 35,000 to a passenger who was allegedly made to travel on a damaged seat during a 16-hour international flight despite having paid extra for seat selection.

Holding it guilty of deficiency in service, President Harveen Bhardwaj and members Jyotsna and Jaswant Singh Dhillon observed that the airlines failed to provide the level of comfort reasonably expected by a passenger who had additionally paid for seat selection.

“The material available on record clearly establishes that the complainant suffered avoidable inconvenience, discomfort and mental harassment during an international journey of about sixteen hours,” the order dated June 19 read.

Journey marred by ‘broken seat’

According to the complainant, he had booked a return ticket from San Francisco to Amritsar via Delhi, paying US $515 for the airfare and an additional US $50 to reserve a preferred seat. He alleged that the seat allotted to him was broken, lacked proper cushioning and was unfit for use.

Claiming to suffer from claustrophobia and back-related medical issues, he said he informed the cabin crew and requested another suitable seat but received no meaningful assistance and was forced to remain on the damaged seat throughout the journey. The complainant alleged that he suffered severe physical discomfort, acute back pain, and mental agony and was unable to enjoy his stay in India.

Air India denied that the seat was defective, and said that the aircraft had undergone routine maintenance and that cabin records revealed no complaint about a broken seat. It also claimed that when the passenger expressed discomfort, he was offered an alternative seat but declined after being informed that the available seats were not significantly different in terms of comfort.

Relief to passenger

After examining the evidence, the commission noted that the complainant had promptly raised his grievance and produced photographs of the seat along with email correspondence exchanged with the airline. It found that Air India’s own emails apologised for the inconvenience suffered by the passenger and initially offered Rs 4,000 as a token of apology before increasing the offer to Rs 5,000.

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The commission remarked that had there been no deficiency or inconvenience, there was no reason for the airlines to repeatedly apologise and offer monetary compensation to the complainant.

“The written statement filed by the opposite party contains a complete denial of any deficiency in service and asserts that the seat was neither defective nor uncomfortable. However, the aforesaid email communications emanating from the opposite parties themselves belie such a stand,” the order read.

Although the commission found no medical evidence to support the passenger’s claim of claustrophobia, physical injury or prolonged medical complications, it held that the material on record clearly established that he had suffered avoidable inconvenience, discomfort and mental harassment during the 16-hour international journey.

It therefore directed Air India to pay Rs 25,000 as compensation for inconvenience, discomfort and mental harassment suffered by the complainant and Rs 10,000 as litigation expenses.

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For consumer-related grievances, individuals may contact the consumer helpline in their respective states and union territories (Punjab helpline: 0800-22577) or call the National Consumer Helpline at 1915 for assistance.

Ashish Shaji is a Senior Sub-Editor at The Indian Express, where he specializes in legal journalism. Combining a formal education in law with years of editorial experience, Ashish provides authoritative coverage and nuanced analysis of court developments and landmark judicial decisions for a national audience.

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