Two passengers that were flying from Düsseldorf to Palma de Mallorca are seeking €25,000 from a German carrier after their flight was overbooked. The pair’s legal representative this week shared that the travelers are looking to cover the costs of a private jet that they hired to ensure that they reached their appointment in the Balearic Islands on time.
A crucial trip
A View from the Wing reports on details shared by a lawyer representing the two passengers that are filing a lawsuit against the airline. Dr. Matthias Böse, a commercial legal protection specialist, said that the pair had an important appointment in Mallorca the day after the flight.
Ultimately, the customers arrived at the airport on time. However, they were eventually told about the overbooking and were only handed over a standby boarding pass. The airline allegedly did not take the urgency of their engagement into account. Additionally, employees did not change the booking to an alternative service with another operator that was departing shortly after the flight in question.
Furthermore, as the passengers waited are the gate nervously, they didn’t notice any calls for volunteers to give up their seats. Böse highlights that this move is a requirement as per the European Union passenger rights ordinance. A callout would have likely led to leisure travelers giving up their seats to receive €250 in compensation, along with food and a hotel for the night.
No luck
Subsequently, once the boarding process was complete, only a single seat was available, which was not sufficient for the pair. By this time, the alternative flight had already departed. Notably, there was no way that the travelers could reach their destination on time with another scheduled operation.
So, due to the overbooking and all remaining commercial options out of the question, the passengers made other inquiries about how they could still make it to their appointment on time. The solution was to charter a plane at a price of approximately €25,000. However, the carrier refused to reimburse the charge out of court. Therefore, the customers have filed a lawsuit.
Could the trouble have been avoided?
Böse emphasizes that his clients pointed out the urgency of their trip to the airline, and it missed several opportunities to ensure that there would be no damage. Overall, the passengers feel that there were no efforts from the company to avoid the damage.
Passengers in the European Union do have some of the most robust protections when it comes to air travel. The EU261 regulation frequently provides monetary compensation for travelers when there are boarding denials, delays, and cancellations. However, it’s a phenomenon for passengers to claim for the reimbursement of a private jet under this law.
What are your thoughts about the passengers seeking €25,000 to cover the cost of their private jet? Do you feel that the airline should pay this fee? Let us know what you think of the situation in the comment section.
