If you didn’t know already, this news may be why you will now read all flight rules and regulations carefully. A Greek boy and his mother, who was denied boarding on Lufthansa Airlines in 2021 due to “travel regulations,” have just won ₹4.5 lakhs against the airline. How? Let us tell you.
Greek Boy And Mother Win ₹4.5l Case Against Lufthansa Airline
A Greek boy was denied boarding on the German-owned Lufthansa Airline despite him holding a valid emergency passport. The incident happened in Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), in 2021. This is as per The Times Of India reports.
The boy was denied boarding by the ground staff of Lufthansa at KIA. The grounds for denial was that he won’t be permitted to transit through Germany with the emergency travel passport. In a state of emergency, the boy and his mother decided to book another airline to reach their destination, stated the report.
Later, worried by this incident, the family of the Greek boy decided to sue Lufthansa Airline for their mistreatment. They filed a case in a Bengaluru consumer court, which recently ordered the airline to pay ₹4.5 lakhs as a refund for the child and mother’s airfares.
The reports also stated that the airline was asked to pay a compensation of ₹25,000 for troubling the child on grounds of false regulations. On October 17, 2021, Kyriaki Petriti and her son reached KIA to board a Lufthansa flight to Athens via Frankfurt. They had business class tickets costing ₹3,26,461, reported The Times Of India.
The mother and son were stranded in Bengaluru airport due to the COVID-19 pandemic and also the son’s passport had expired. Unable to renew the boy’s passport due to COVID-19, the son’s father got him issued an emergency passport through the Greece embassy in New Delhi.
Despite this, upon reaching the airport, the Lufthansa ground staff member denied them boarding. On the basis that he won’t be permitted to transit through Germany with the emergency travel passport.
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Mother And Son Forced To Book Another Airline
The mom was forced to book tickets on Emirates for an additional ₹4,49,374. After that, the two flew to Athens via Dubai without any trouble, as stated in the reports. Later, On October 27, 2021, Petriti wrote to the German Federal Police regarding the validity of her son’s passport.
The response she received confirmed that her son’s passport was indeed a valid travel document for transit via Germany.
The parents presented the police reply to the airline support staff for a response but received nothing positive. They were even denied a refund on their tickets. Enraged by the careless behaviour of Lufthansa, they decided to file a case for the mistreatment, which they just won in 2023.
The court mandated Lufthansa to provide a refund of ₹3,26,461 for the tickets of the mother and son, along with an additional amount of ₹1,22,913. This is for the extra cost of flying Emirates from Bengaluru.
Furthermore, the court ruled that the German airline must compensate with ₹15,000 for service deficiency in the minor’s case, ₹10,000 for causing pain and suffering to his parents, and ₹2,000 for their court expenses.
Also Read: Lufthansa Offers New Flight Menus For Indian Travellers; Separate Food Options For Different Classes
So, make sure you read all your travel rules and regulations more than once so you don’t get fooled.
Cover image courtesy: Wikimedia Commons