Case Digest: Lufthansa German Airlines vs. Court of Appeals and Tirso V. Antiporda, Sr., G.R. No. 83612, November 24, 1994
Tirso Antiporda, Sr., then a Governor of the Development Bank of the Philippines, booked a flight from Manila to Singapore via Lufthansa with a ticket clearly marked “OK,” indicating a confirmed reservation for his business trip to the United States. When he arrived at the airport on the date of departure, Lufthansa’s check-in staff refused to board him, claiming that his name was not on the passenger manifest and that he was merely a waitlisted passenger. Despite his protests and the presentation of his confirmed ticket, he was bumped off the flight and forced to find alternative transportation, causing him to suffer public embarrassment and mental anguish. The specific legal issue is whether Lufthansa is liable for damages for breaching the contract of carriage and whether such breach was attended by bad faith or gross negligence. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Antiporda, holding Lufthansa liable for breach of contract and bad faith. The Court emphasized that an “OK” status on a...