Was it against the law to make me fly in broken seat

[steven62]

I recently ( 6 months ago)had a flight from Doha to the UK. ( originating in BKK) Once I boarded and sat on my seat they told me to put my seat upright in the locked position. after 5 min. of trying to fix it they said we are very busy just now but will get it fixed as they cant taxi until its fixed. cabin crew take their seats we are taxiing down the runway. i'm still sitting at the front of my seat with no seat belt and were up up and away. level out, they then now discover not only will it not lock in upright position but goes right back onto the ladies lap behind me. so a 7 hour flight i sat at the front of my seat nose 2 inches from seat in front of me. older couple next to me even offered to let me use one of their seats just so i could eat. all this time the cabin crew each take turns but to no avail. I did walk around and the plane was full but funnily enough they would stand in front of curtain when i attempted to look in business class. all passengers around me were sympathetic to me as were most cabin crew with some not being able to look me in the eye. so I end up having to land like that.....  my points and questions

1. should I not have at least been offered a later flight ?

2. If I had refused to put my seat up if it worked would they not have had me removed and arrested

3.was told by someone that they could not have notified the captain as he shouldn't have moved until situation resolved.....

after numerous emails back and forth their last email said I was to send them a physical description of the male cabin crew who tried a few times to fix the seat. After i did that 3 months go by and they ignore 6 emails from me I receive a phone call from the airline wanting to know how many people i have told about this, am i using a 3rd party for compensation. I told them I was just using Resolve which just gives you an email address to use, and contact for the airline and what i should do next. also how long i must wait to bring it to the next stage.. last question to me was have you posted anything or made videos for any social media. after I explained they sent me emails acknowledging the situation and I recorded all calls.... He said i was not allowed to record calls.. I replied when I was told each time they were recording for training purposes I said I am also recording for myself, was told that's fine .......Any advice welcome. Resolve says I must wait another 18 days  to bring it to the passenger advice and complaints team. CAA.   Surely i've Got a  valid complaint for compensation on so many different things  or am I flogging a dead horse

Didn't want to name airline.. but I think you can figure it out

[Pouatchee]

should ask chatgpt... i just put your op in it and the answer is very long and detailed and in your favor... copy and paste you will be surprised

 

conclusion according to the ai

 

Quote

Bottom Line:

You’re not flogging a dead horse. The airline clearly knows this is a major screw-up. Push forward with the complaint. And if they retaliate or intimidate further, go public. They’re more scared of that than any regulator.

If you'd like, I can help you draft the final pre-escalation email or your case summary.

 

[impulse]

OP, please post back with the results.  It happened to me, but on a much shorter (int'l) flight.  I just sucked it up for 4 hours. I figured the option was deplaning and waiting for another flight, and that definitely wasn't in my plans.

 

My guess (and that's all it is) is it depends on which airline and which international convention they fly under.

 

Now I'm curious based on Pouatchee's post.

 

[fredwiggy]

It all depends on how long you can keep the complaint going. They eventually get tired of hearing from you and they might give you a reduced flight or upgrade the next time you fly, as your complaint is legitimate. 

 

I recently sent a box of food and things to myself here in Thailand from Texas while I was there visiting. It took over a month to get here. It was supposed to go through Chicago and then to Bangkok, customs, then my house. It went to Chicago, Puerto Rico, back to Chicago, then Europe, then Bangkok customs, then the local post office. The box was half the size of when I sent it, smashed by things obviously put on top of it. The sauce, cereals and pretzels I sent were in a mix at the bottom of the box. Luckily the book I sent was on top and wasn't damaged. 

 

I took pictures, made a claim and waited. They told me since I didn't have receipts for the food (who keeps them?), I would need pictures and dates I bought them, and from where. I sent these, although they already had the pictures and I told them where I bought the items and showed a price list earlier. They again, 2 times, said it was denied. It was only $44 USD but the principle of the thing had me keeping on, telling them they can't refund my measly $44, seeing the obvious damage by their workers. 

 

A month later, yesterday, they sent me a check for what it cost me to send the package, plus the cost of the damaged food, so pestering them worked.

[RayC]

"Was it against the law to make me fly in broken seat?"

 

Airlines have a legal obligation to ensure your safety. Speaking as a layman, it would appear that you would have a much stronger case if you had been injured as a direct result of this broken chair (sorry about that😁)

 

However, it would seem a perfectly good argument to me to suggest that making you fly in a broken chair increased your risk of sustaining an injury and the airline therefore knowingly failed to meet their legal obligation to ensure your safety. However, that's my layman's argument. I think that you need a professional legal opinion. Google AI suggestions given below. Good luck.

 

_----++;;;;;;----

 

Examples of UK firms specializing in flight compensation:

Bott and Co Solicitors:

Known for winning landmark cases and claiming large amounts of compensation for clients. 

JMW Solicitors:

Experienced in helping passengers with in-flight injuries and other airline-related injuries. 

Versus Law Solicitors:

Provides free consultations and helps clients claim compensation for flight delays. 

[KhunLA]

1. yes

2. yes

3. correct

[hotsun]

Id like to know the airline so i never use them

[phetphet]

Did you take any photos of the broken seat? Much better to have photographic evidence if you need to go public.