A 20-year-old business class passenger is suing Emirates for $3,300, saying the plane he flew on was 'disgusting' and his seat didn't recline
- A business class passenger is suing Emirates over the condition of a plane he flew on, per the Daily Mail.
- He paid $2,166 for a seat he said was stained, had socks stuffed down the side, and didn't recline.
A 20-year-old energy trader is suing Emirates for misleading advertising because he says his business class seat was "absolutely disgusting," the Daily Mail reported.
Brodie Chapman said he paid $2,166 for the Oslo to Dubai journey in March, but it was rife with problems.
The seat was stained, didn't recline properly, and had socks stuffed down the side of it, he told the Mail.
Alongside the "grubby" upholstery, Chapman said one of the screens didn't work either.
"'I pay more money to fly with Emirates than other carriers because they are meant to offer more luxury and comfort," he told the newspaper. "But if the product they are advertising bears no relation to what you are actually receiving - I don't think it's really fair."
Emirates offered him 20,000 air miles in compensation, but Chapman — who splits his time between Perth, Australia and the UK — is instead seeking around $3,300 in a British small claims court.
He was also upset because the Boeing 777 was over 20 years old so it didn't offer all of the luxury features.
"They advertise this fancy product – the 777 or the A380 – and this plane I got on was absolutely disgusting," he told the newspaper.
Emirates' website features three disclaimers on this because it operates a mixed fleet with older planes, which the airline also pointed out to Chapman, per the Mail.
When contacted by Insider, Emirates said that it is currently undertaking "a multi-billion dollar retrofit programme on our Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft."
It continued by saying it "takes all feedback seriously and has been diligently handling this case," adding that it has "been in touch with the customer." It did not provide any further comment, citing the fact that the case is subject to pending litigation.
In March, Emirates was ordered to pay a New Zealand passenger nearly $8,500 in a similar case, according to Stuff.
The customer in that case also said that his seat didn't recline flat, and there was no mini-bar or internet connection. Emirates had argued its small print disclaimers meant it wasn't misleading customers, but the tribunal referee disagreed. "Emirates advertised a business class service that consumers were very unlikely to receive," she said, per Stuff.