£1,000 for couple left stranded by easyJet’s long queue
Airline had three staff to check in 100 passengers
A COUPLE who missed an easyJet flight after staff shortages caused long queues at check-in have won more than £1,000 in compensation.
Niall and Aileen Caldwell arrived at a Sicilian airport to catch their flight back to London two hours before it was due to leave.
But a shortage of staff at the check-in desks meant they were held up among passengers booked on later flights.
Mr Caldwell, 42, pleaded three times with staff at Catania-Fontanarossa airport to prioritise him and his wife in the slow- moving queues, but was refused.
There were only three easyJet staff working at the check-in area, where more than 100 passengers were lined up. After further delays in passport control and security queues, the couple made it to the departure gate after it had closed.
The next available easyJet flight did not leave for two days, so the Caldwells flew that evening with British Airways at a cost of £900 – almost twice their original fare.
They had arrived at the airport just as easyJet’s check-in desk opened and were not given prior notice of expected delays.
Mr Caldwell, managing director of the Scottish engineering firm Artemis, began legal action against easyJet on his return home to Edinburgh and represented himself in court.
Now Edinburgh Sheriff Court has found in his favour and ordered the company to pay him £1,042.90, including £634.92 in compensation and £407.98 for the cost of their easyJet tickets. The firm must also pay his legal costs.
In a written judgment, Sheriff Tom Welsh QC said the couple were ‘blameless’, adding: ‘Pro-
‘Operational inadequacies’
vided the passenger presents for check-in on time for a confirmed reserved seat and is not at fault, he is entitled to compensation if denied boarding.
‘The responsibility for taking reasonable steps to facilitate passage through the carrier’s own bag- drop queues and airport security queues rests with the carrier. The passengers did nothing which had the character of fault about it.
‘I am satisfied the facts proved can properly be characterised as denied boarding because of the operational inadequacies of easyJet ground staff’s management of the easyJet queues on September 14, 2014 and their failure to facilitate passage through security check, customs and passport control when asked, in circumstances, where it was obvious the passengers were in danger of missing their flight.’
In court, easyJet denied liability and said it was the responsibility of passengers to reach the departure gate in time for their flight.
Last night a spokesman said: ‘We are aware of the ruling and are reviewing it.’ ÷ Holiday firm Thomson has reportedly paid £13,500 for a fleet of taxis after a flight diversion left passengers more than 120 miles from home.
About 150 holidaymakers, many with young children, had been travelling on the Thomson flight from Palma, Majorca, to Aberdeen, only to find themselves 127 miles away in Edinburgh after heavy fog meant landing at the original destination was too hazardous.
The flight had been scheduled to arrive at Aberdeen Airport at 12.25am on Saturday but passengers did not start their homeward journey in taxis until 4am.