An Airline Passenger Complained That His Seat Didn't Match The Pics & It Scored Him $12K

If you spent a lot of money on an airplane seat and it wasn't up to par with what you paid for, you'd probably be upset right?

An airline passenger who paid for business class seats for himself and his wife on an Emirates flight was so disappointed by what he got that he ended up suing the airline for misleading advertising and won over $12,000 in the process.

One Mile At A Time reports the passenger, whose name is Mark Morgan, purchased the tickets for a flight from New Zealand to the U.K. with Emirates.

According to the outlet, the passenger thought his seat would include a mini bar, a flat bed and an updated entertainment system.

However, his ticket reportedly included none of those upgrades, even though he claimed that his ticket showed a picture of Emirates' new business class seats.

Although Morgan thought he would be getting the experience he paid for, his flight was actually operated by an Emirates 777-300ER, which is the carrier's most outdated business class product, as reported by One Mile At A Time.

The airline passenger sought a partial refund for the price of the tickets, as well as a refund of the price they paid to upgrade to first class for a part of their journey so they could enjoy those seats that lie flat.

According to News.com.au, the airline tried to avoid paying the man by telling him it doesn't "guarantee aircraft types in its contract with customers."

They also told Morgan the seats on the 777-300ER aircraft recline to such an angle that to the ordinary person the seat is "equivalent" to a seat that lies flat, the outlet adds.

The Australian news outlet reports that the Disputes Tribunal ruled in Morgan's favour because it was a result of “advertising a service that they were rarely delivering” and “the promotional materials were based on an updated/new business class seat and service" that is not included on older planes Emirates flies to New Zealand.

Thanks to the Tribunal's decision, Morgan walked away with US $12,579 ($13,555 NZD).

It's unclear how much Morgan actually paid for his two tickets but hopefully it makes up for his disappointing flight.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.