8 Recent Airline Lawsuits That Read Like Travel Nightmares

From allergic reactions to wrongful death, passengers have taken carriers to court for a variety of reasons.Airlines are no strangers to lawsuits. From discrimination to negligence, carriers often find themselves embroiled in legal battles with passengers. It’s common for airlines to take responsibility for routine issues such as lost luggage, damaged mobility devices, delays, and cancellations. But when they refuse to compensate passengers or make things right, court filings often tell the story—and capture passenger grievances—in vivid detail. In many of these cases, airlines have been accused of causing significant harm to passengers, offering a sobering look at how things can go wrong while flying. 1 OF 8 Former Child Pop Star Sues Singapore Airlines for Wooden Splinter in Throat Former pop star Briohny Smyth filed a lawsuit against Singapore Airlines on July 24, seeking compensation for an incident that allegedly occurred two years ago. Smyth, who is now a yoga instructor, was traveling to Los Angeles when she allegedly swallowed a wooden splinter from her in-flight meal. According to the complaint, a chicken satay meal served on the flight included skewers, and a splinter from one became lodged in her throat.She experienced violent coughing, pain, and choking during the flight and suffered emotional distress while trying to dislodge the splinter, the complaint alleges. Although she eventually managed to expel it, she continued to experience “persistent throat discomfort, vocal fatigue, raspiness, tightness, and pain with prolonged speaking and singing.”The lawsuit states that Smyth relies on her voice for her livelihood as a singer and speaker. As a result of the incident, she alleges she has suffered bodily injury, flying anxiety, and a loss of earning capacity. Smyth is seeking damages for medical expenses, emotional distress, lost earnings, and legal costs. 2 OF 8 Passengers Sue United and Delta for Windowless Window Seat Window and aisle seats are highly sought after on flights, so much so that many passengers pay extra to avoid being stuck in the middle. But some aircraft don’t have an actual window at every window seat because of electrical conduits or air-conditioning ducts. Ryanair has notoriously mocked passengers who complain about it online.Some airlines disclose that certain window seats are, in fact, windowless before passengers book them. But United and Delta do not provide that information during the booking process, which led to a proposed class action lawsuit against both carriers. According to the complaint, passengers would not have selected those seats—let alone paid extra for them—had they known there was no window.United argued in federal court in San Francisco that a window seat refers to the seat’s location rather than the presence of a window, and sought to have the case dismissed. But a federal judge rejected that argument this year, allowing the case to move forward. Delta has also sought to dismiss the case in New York.Related: United Can’t Escape Lawsuit Over Window Seats Without Windows 3 OF 8 Lawsuit Against Delta for Turbulent Flight That Caused Hospitalizations Last year, a Delta flight from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam encountered severe turbulence that injured multiple people and sent several passengers to the hospital. In June of this year, 20 passengers on that flight filed a lawsuit against the airline, alleging it knowingly continued into dangerous weather conditions.The lawsuit claims Delta had warnings about the weather but that the flight crew ignored them and remained on the planned flight path. It also alleges that after approximately 2 1/2 minutes of severe turbulence that threw passengers into the aircraft’s ceiling, the pilots did not return to Salt Lake City or divert to Denver. Instead, the complaint says they continued flying for another 90 minutes before diverting to Minnesota, a Delta hub, to save money. The lawsuit also alleges the seat belt sign was not illuminated when the turbulence occurred and that passengers and crew members suffered spinal injuries, head injuries, broken bones, and concussions. 4 OF 8 Qatar Airways Taken to Court After Teens Dies of Allergic Reaction The family of 16-year-old Jason Hu is suing Qatar Airways after he died aboard a flight to New York City. Hu was traveling with his father, Eric, and sister, Erica, in August 2024 when he was served a sandwich that allegedly triggered a severe allergic reaction. According to the lawsuit, the crew had been informed that Hu was allergic to dairy, peanuts, and fish and assured the family that the sandwich was safe to eat. Soon after eating, however, he began experiencing breathing difficulties. A nebulizer did not help, and the crew administered an injection that also failed to provide relief. The lawsuit further alleges that the aircraft’s oxygen tank was not operational. Hu died during the flight and was pronounced dead after the aircraft landed at New York’s JFK Airport.His father has filed a lawsuit against Qatar Airways and travel safety company MedAire, seeking damages and a jury trial. 5 OF 8 Korean Air Sued for Wrongful Death In 2024, Porscha Tynisha Brown was flying from Washington to Incheon on a Korean Air flight when she experienced respiratory distress. She died during the flight, and her estate is now suing the airline.The lawsuit, filed in Virginia, alleges that Brown became ill about 12 hours into the flight and collapsed after saying “I can’t breathe” to her companions and crew members. According to the complaint, the crew provided an oxygen mask that was not connected to an oxygen supply. The lawsuit also alleges that passengers were unable to operate the equipment, crew members failed to assist effectively and delayed diverting the flight by not communicating the severity of the emergency. The flight was eventually diverted to Osaka, where Brown was pronounced dead.The estate is seeking damages for wrongful death, pain and suffering, lost future earnings and the profound loss suffered by her family. 6 OF 8 Family Sued American Airlines for Bumping 4-Year-Old 7 OF 8 Passenger Took JetBlue to Court After Giving Dry Ice For Swelling In March, a passenger filed a lawsuit against JetBlue, alleging the airline provided her with dry ice instead of regular ice to treat swelling. Patricia Matzenbacher was traveling from Paris to New York in March 2025 when she requested ice for her swollen leg. The crew allegedly provided dry ice, which is frozen carbon dioxide, instead.Dry ice is typically used for industrial refrigeration and is significantly colder than regular ice. Direct contact with dry ice can cause severe burns. The lawsuit alleges that Matzenbacher suffered permanent bodily injuries as a result of the airline’s negligence. She is seeking damages and a jury trial. 8 OF 8 Woman Sued Lufthansa for Rushing Her Down Wet Stairs A Discover Airlines (subsidiary of Lufthansa) flight attendant allegedly rushed a passenger off an aircraft, causing her to slip down wet stairs on the tarmac. Patricia Gussner was flying from Philadelphia to Frankfurt with her daughter last year when the incident occurred.According to the lawsuit filed this year, heavy rain was falling when the aircraft arrived, and the airline did not have an air bridge available. Instead, passengers had to use airstairs to exit the plane. Gussner stopped at the top of the stairs to assess how to safely descend the wet steps, which the lawsuit alleges had handrails without anti-slip guards. A flight attendant then rushed her to continue disembarking as other passengers waited behind her. Gussner fell down the stairs and sustained “a concussion, fractures of the clavicle and sternum, a cardiac contusion, and multiple other wounds.”She spent two weeks hospitalized in Germany. During her medical flight back to the U.S., she experienced distress and the aircraft diverted to Ireland. The lawsuit alleges she required additional treatment there due to an infection and had to remain abroad for six weeks because of injuries and complications from the fall.Patricia and her husband, Paul, are seeking damages from Lufthansa and Discover Airlines, alleging that her injuries are permanent and continue to affect their lives.