A District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed Air Canada and Air India to pay ₹1 lakh in compensation to a woman after she was not provided a pre-confirmed vegan meal during a 10-hour international flight. The Commission held that the airlines were deficient in service and that the passenger suffered mental agony and physical harassment.
Passenger Left Without Food During Long-Haul Flight
The woman had booked her journey from Toronto to Chandigarh with a confirmed request for a vegan meal due to her religious beliefs and dietary requirements. However, during the Toronto-London leg of the journey, she was served a non-vegetarian meal instead. With no suitable alternative available, she reportedly remained without food for more than 10 hours.
Baggage Delay Added To The Hardship
Apart from the meal issue, the passenger’s checked baggage was delivered two days after her arrival. The Commission observed that the combined inconvenience caused unnecessary hardship and negatively affected her travel experience.
Taking both issues into account, the consumer forum concluded that the airlines had failed to provide the standard of service expected by passengers.
Compensation Ordered
The Commission directed the airlines to jointly pay ₹1 lakh as compensation for the inconvenience, mental distress and physical hardship caused to the passenger. The order reinforces that airlines must honour confirmed special meal requests, particularly when they are linked to religious beliefs, medical conditions or other essential dietary needs.
Consumer Rights In Focus
The ruling highlights the importance of customer service standards in the aviation industry and underscores that airlines can be held accountable when they fail to fulfil confirmed commitments made to passengers. It also serves as a reminder for carriers to ensure that special assistance and dietary requests are properly accommodated throughout a passenger’s journey.
Summary
A consumer commission has awarded ₹1 lakh compensation to a woman after airlines failed to provide her pre-confirmed vegan meal during a 10-hour flight and delayed her baggage by two days. The ruling emphasises the importance of honouring confirmed passenger requests and reinforces consumer rights in the aviation sector.
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