Fine after-dine for freeloader

A man exploited the perks of business-class travel to feast for free 35 times in a year at Deutsche Lufthansa AG’s Munich airport lounge — without ever taking off.

The man used the flexibility of the one-way fare to Zurich to repeatedly reschedule his travel plans after gaining access to food and drink. Lufthansa canceled the ticket after more than a year and refunded the price, only for the man to purchase a replacement.

The court ordered the man to pay Lufthansa Rs 1.6 lakh equal to about Rs 4,500 per visit or more than twice the cost of the Rs 60,000 (approximately) ticket. Lufthansa pursued a prosecution after the man bought the second ticket with the intention of resuming his foraging raids. The Munich facility at Lufthansa’s second-biggest hub offers Bavaria’s Loewenbraeu beer on tap, together with local delicacies including leberkas meatloaf and sausages with sweet mustard.