Lufthansa Slapped With $31k Fine After Flyer Complains Lie-Flat Seats Don’t Lie Flat
Erica Berardi June 05, 2015
Lufthansa was fined because an Indian flyer complained that ‘lie-flat’ beds are not flat after all.
German flag carrier Lufthansa has been fined Rs. 20 lakh, just over $31,000, for failing to provide fully flat seats as advertised to its business-class passengers after an Indian traveler alleged unfair trade practices and deficiency in services rendered.
In September 2008, Vivek Talwar flew Lufthansa from Mumbai to Dallas via Frankfurt. Talwar said he chose business class because the airline advertised a “lie-flat” seat, so he could sleep during the 20-hour trip.
“When he checked with the airlines before the ticket was re-issued, he was informed that they had flat beds in the Business Class which they had introduced in March 2007,” read a portion of the judgment from India’s National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. “However, Mr. Talwar later discovered that the seat on which he traveled was semi-reclined and not fully flat.”
Talwar complained to Lufthansa flight staff and was informed that the airline’s seats reclined only to 170 degree flat. On April 28, NCDRC sided with Talwar and told Lufthansa to refund his Rs 50,000 ($780) ticket cost and award him an additional Rs. 10,000 ($156) for litigation costs. Talwar’s compensation is not included in the Rs. 20 lakh ($31,260) fine Lufthansa must pay to India’s Consumer Welfare Fund within six weeks.
Lufthansa, based in Cologne, is Europe’s largest airline, which operates services to 18 domestic destinations and 197 international destinations in 78 countries across Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe with a fleet of 280 aircraft.
UPDATED 06/05/15 12:38 p.m. PT: An earlier version of this story erroneously reported that Lufthansa was ordered to pay Rs. 20,000,000 to India’s Consumer Welfare Fund. It has been updated to reflect that the airline was in fact ordered to pay Rs. 20,00,000 — Rs. 20 lakh.
[Photo: Lufthansa Group]
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The seat was clearly advertised as a lie flat seat and I double checked with the airline and they confirmed it was fully flat . I was going to Dallas for one day for business and needed to be fresh for my meetings there and wanted to be back to work as soon as I got back to Mumbai . It’s was a 20 hour flight one way and barely 24 hours in Dallas . So to expect the seat to be flat was really the only thing I wanted . Even if the seat was 170 degrees that Lufthansa is now claiming it would have been fine . It was much less and I would keep slipping down making it impossible to sleep . The inflight supervisor in fact told me to complain to the LH management as she would constantly get harassed by passengers expecting a flat bed . On my return I contacted LH and the issue would have been resolved if they had just apologised and rectified their advertising ! Instead they became arrogant and gave me attitude as if I was talking rubbish . They are lucky the suit was filed in india where the damages awarded are very low as in this case . Any where else in the developed world they would have been taken to the cleaners ! Maybe I should consider filing in the U.S. As they still don’t seem to have learnt their lesson . They want to appeal this tiny award ! Still no apology or acceptance of their fault so there is more to come !
Really stupid lawsuit and even more stupid judgement. Lie flat doesn't mean 180 degrees in the aviation world.
In response to Sdsearch, agreed that a flat surface does not have to be horizontal, but then why use the "lie" part in lie-flat? If Lufthansa had said flat seat at 170 degrees, that would have been much closer to what it actually is. A vertical flat seat does not lie flat.
Ummmm.......fat means level or without unevenness of surface. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/flat So yes, flat means it should not have a bend or curve, i.e. it is gotta be 180 degress. Doesn't matter if the surface is horizontal or vertical. 170 degree doesn't cut it.
He bought the ticket in 2008, so at the time it was more like an $1100 ticket in business with the exchange rate at the time.