MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th January, 2019) A family who missed a connecting flight from Moscow to Chicago has filed a class action lawsuit against Russia's Aeroflot and Finland's Finnair with an Illinois court, according to a court filing.
Dmitry, Svetlana and Alexander Badurin seek damages in excess of $32,439 from the two airlines "jointly and severally, for delay in international air transportation," the complaint, obtained by Sputnik, reads.
The three argue that last August they missed their flight from Moscow to Helsinki where they were to change to a Chicago-bound Finnair flight after standing a long line to register at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport.
They said this left them with little time to go through security checks and reach the gate, a road with many transitions, turns and stairs which proved to be challenging for Svetlana Bandurina, who suffers from an in-born hip condition.
Aeroflot's Deputy CEO Vladimir Aleksandrov said the company was looking into the lawsuit. He described it as an attempt to generate publicity by plaintiffs to get the upper hand in the future settlement.
"We think that the sum of damages and the nature of the accusations suggest an attempt to put pressure on the airline, including in the media, to get advantage in the out-of-court process. We have always protected Aeroflot's good name and will continue to do so," he said.
Sputnik does not have a comment by Finnair, which is a co-defendant in the case. The complaint also asserts claims against the two airlines under the US Federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).
