AirAsia ordered to pay passenger S$3,050 for harassment, serving him chicken, says report

KUALA LUMPUR — An Indian consumer court has ordered low-cost airline AirAsia to pay a passenger INR154,000 (S$3,050) for serving him non-vegetarian food and harassing his family, Indian magazine Business Today reports.

The case was brought to the Panchkula consumer court in Haryana by 61-year-old Vijay Trehan, whose family had travelled from Amritsar to Kuala Lumpur via AirAsia on October 7, 2018, with return tickets for October 13, 2018.

Mr Vijay said the trip to Kuala Lumpur was problem-free but the return trip to Amritsar was not, due to  delays during check-in at klia2.

“Due to a huge rush at the immigration counter and also at the security check, it took around one and a quarter hour for clearance for the entire family comprising five adults and three children.

“The passage between the boarding pass counter to the exit gate of the terminal was about 1km and was confusing since there was no signage or any guidance by any airport personnel.

“When the family reached the terminal, airline officials did not allow the family to board the plane, citing the delay of 10 minutes in arriving at the gate,” said the report.

The family had to buy new tickets to return the next day, incurring hotel expenses for an extra day in Malaysia.

However, their troubles did not end there.

“During their return journey on October 14, 2018, Vijay Trehan was served a sandwich containing chicken when he had asked for a cheese sandwich.

“Trehan is from a Hindu family whose members are also devotees of the Iskon sect.”

The family decided to file a complaint with the consumer court, which issued a notice to AirAsia.

The consumer court directed the airline to pay INR119,213 for expenses incurred by the complainants on new tickets, hotel room and food, with interest at nine per cent per annum from the date of filing of complaint till realisation, and INR30,000 on account of physical harassment, pain and mental agony as well as INR5,500 on account of litigation charges. THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT