On September 9, 2024, an Indian consumer court ruled in favor of 25-year-old Maharshi Yadav, a student who had not been adequately informed by Lufthansa about the requirements for a transit visa. The case raises questions about transparency and customer information in international air travel and focuses on the responsibility of airlines in sharing information.
Maharshi Yadav had purchased a Lufthansa ticket from Mumbai (BOM) to Toronto (YYZ) via Munich (MUC) on April 13, 2022. However, when he arrived at Mumbai airport, he was denied boarding because, as it turned out, he lacked a Schengen visa. This visa is required for Indian citizens to enter Germany, even for transit. Yadav, who was studying in Canada and had a stopover in Munich en route to Toronto, was surprised and confused by this requirement, which he had not known about when booking the ticket.
As a result of the refusal to board, Yadav was forced to purchase a new ticket with Emirates, which took a different route via Dubai and did not require a transit visa. The additional burden and expense caused by this situation led to Yadav being forced to take legal action against Lufthansa.
The decision of the consumer court
Yadav filed a complaint with the Gandhinagar District Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission, alleging that Lufthansa had engaged in unfair trade practices by not informing him about the visa requirement. The commission ruled in his favour and ordered Lufthansa to pay Yadav compensation of up to EUR 2.000. This amount consists of EUR 729,29 for the additional ticket cost and around EUR 1.078 for mental distress. The airline will also have to pay 8% interest on the refund amount, starting from the date of filing the complaint in March 2023.
The Commission's decision underlines the responsibility of airlines to provide their customers with complete and accurate information on the necessary visa requirements. This is particularly important for international travel, where different countries have different entry requirements.
Repeated incidents
This case is not isolated. In April 2022, an Indian student was also denied boarding at Bengaluru Airport (BLR) because he did not have a Schengen visa for transit in Europe. Such incidents highlight repeated problems in airlines' communication of entry requirements and highlight the need for clear and concise information to travelers.
The decision by the Indian Consumer Court is an important step in the fight for consumer rights and transparency in international air travel. It highlights the need for airlines to provide their passengers with comprehensive information about all required visas and entry requirements. For Maharshi Yadav, the ruling is an important victory that compensates him for the additional costs and emotional stress he suffered due to the inadequate information sharing. This decision could also serve as a precedent and influence the standards for information obligations of airlines worldwide.
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