The South West District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum held that the airline was deficient in service and "solely responsible" for the loss caused to the woman.
"For the delayed delivery and damage of the baggage of complainant the opposite party (Lufthansa Airlines) is solely responsible.
"We find opposite party deficient in providing service and hold it responsible to compensate complainant for her financial loss, harassment and mental agony. In our opinion the appropriate quantum of compensation is Rs 50,000 to be paid to complainant," the bench presided by Narendra Kumar said.
The order of the forum came on the complaint filed by Delhi resident Anju Aggarwal who had alleged that her baggage was lost when she travelled from Santiago in Chile to Delhi via Munich in July 2009 by Lufthansa.
She had alleged that when she reached the airport in Chile, she found that her flight to Munich was delayed and after many requests she was allowed to travel on another airline to Munich via Spain.
On arriving at Delhi she found that her baggage was missing and she filed a property irregularity report with the airline and after a week her luggage was delivered but in a damaged state, Aggarwal had said in her complaint.
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The airline in its defence contended that her baggage was left at the Chile airport as she had taken a different airline to Munich and therefore, there was delay in its delivery.
The court, however, rejected the contention saying the woman had no other option but to travel on another airline as Lufthansa's flight was delayed and she could have missed her connecting flight.