Air India had apparently served lizard to one of its flyers on an international flight last year.

Considering the fact that Air India has served lizard to a flyer on an international flight last year, you would think serving stale food is still less disconcerting.

The country's consumer apex commission doesn't think so. It has levied a fine of 1 lakh on the country's national carrier for serving stale food to the passenger on a Mumbai-New York flight.

When passenger Malti Madhukar Pahade had filed a case against the airline, the district forum had asked the airline to pay a compensation of Rs 15000.

However, the amount of compensation was revised to 1 lakh in a subsequent hearing by the Maharashtra State Consumer Commission.

Air India challenged the state commission's order saying that the compensation was not justified and "highly disproportionate to the negligence/deficiency in service alleged by the complainant". The apex commission upheld the state commission's order much to the dismay of the airlines