Lufthansa's Big Fine: A Lesson in Fair Treatment

In a surprising turn of events, the United States has hit German airline Lufthansa with a $4 million fine. The reason? Lufthansa didn't treat a group of Orthodox Jewish passengers fairly. This group was traveling from New York to Budapest, with a stop in Frankfurt. They were headed to an annual memorial event to honor an Orthodox rabbi. The trouble started on the first flight from New York. Many passengers were wearing distinctive garb, typical of Orthodox Jewish men. Some flight attendants said they didn't follow the rules about wearing face masks and staying away from emergency exits. When they reached Frankfurt, these passengers were denied boarding on their connecting flight. Lufthansa said it was because of the misbehavior of a few. But the passengers said they were treated unfairly, as if they were all part of a group. The U. S. Transportation Department agreed. They said Lufthansa's actions were a violation of civil rights. The $4 million fine is the biggest the department has ever given to an airline. However, Lufthansa got some credit for paying $2 million to the passengers, so the final fine was cut in half. Lufthansa insists it didn't discriminate. They say it was just a mistake in their procedures and communication. But the fine sends a strong message: airlines need to treat all passengers fairly and equally.