NEW DELHI: The Punjab State Consumer Disputes Redressal Comission has directed Air India to pay Rs 60,000 in compensation to an elderly couple after finding the airline guilty of deficiency in service for changing their pre-booked seats on a long-haul flight, leaving the husband bedridden for nearly a month.What was the issueThe complainants, Amar Jit Singh Ralla and his wife Paramjit Kaur Ralla, both senior citizens from Punjab, had booked their flight tickets through a travel agent well in advance, securing seats 17A and 17B. However, at the time of boarding, Air India changed their seat allotment and gave them seat 19D instead, which had considerably less leg space.Ralla, who had undergone a hip replacement surgery, was forced to sit in a narrow seat for 14 hours which caused acute spinal pain, swelling in legs, and leaving him bedridden for one month.As a result, he was unable to attend the family function for which the couple had undertaken the journey in the first place. His wife, meanwhile, was made to sit separately from him during the flight, which the couple said caused her significant mental agony and humiliation.The couple first approached the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, seeking a refund of the ticket amount, compensation for medical treatment, and damages for their suffering. The district commission partly allowed their complaint and awarded Rs 40,000 as lump-sum compensation, including litigation costs, directing Air India to pay within 45 days.Not satisfied with the amount, the couple appealed to the state commission. They argued that the compensation was too little, given the serious physical and mental suffering faced by two senior citizens. Their representative said the district commission had not fully understood how much harassment and financial loss they had gone through.What did the commission sayThe bench comprising Justice Daya Chaudhary, Simarjot Kaur and Vishav Kant Garg agreed that the compensation awarded by the district commission was not sufficient.“The compensation and litigation expenses awarded by the district commission is on the lower side as meagre amount of lump-sum compensation of Rs 40,000 including litigation expenses has been awarded whereas the complainants had not only suffered litigation but had incurred expenses for redressal of their grievances. The complainants had suffered physical as well as mental harassment,” the commission observed.The commission held that Air India had been negligent and was guilty of deficiency in service. It also noted that the couple had not only gone through litigation but had also spent money to get their grievance resolved.Taking all these factors into account, the commission decided to raise the compensation from Rs 40,000 to Rs 60,000. The appeal was partly allowed, and Air India was directed to pay a total of Rs 60,000 as compensation for the mental agony, harassment and deficiency in service.