Air France ordered to compensate passengers for defective premium class seats

Air France has been ordered by a court in the Federal District, Brazil, to compensate three passengers who traveled in defective "premium class" seats on an international flight. Each passenger will receive R$ 2,500 (approximately $460 USD) for moral damages. The ruling came on appeal after the initial court had denied compensation claims for both moral and material damages. The passengers had purchased tickets for the Oslo-Paris-São Paulo route, and the issue occurred on the Paris to São Paulo leg on February 5, 2025. The three passengers, who were minors, found that their seats would not recline. According to the passengers, the crew acknowledged the defect and offered only extra pillows or the option to move to lower-class seats. The appellate court, the 2nd Civil Chamber, overturned the first instance decision, citing photographic and video evidence along with passenger testimony that confirmed the seat defect. The court emphasized that the ability to recline is a primary benefit of premium class, especially on long-haul international flights. The judges determined that the inability to use this core feature frustrated the consumers' legitimate expectations and constituted more than a minor inconvenience, thus warranting moral damages. However, the court denied the passengers' request for a partial refund of their ticket costs, reasoning that they had still benefited from other premium class amenities such as increased legroom, priority boarding, enhanced baggage allowance, VIP lounge access, and differentiated in-flight service.