Take a selfie or miss air delay pay-outs
Photos could be important evidence in compensation battles
Air passengers are being advised to take photos of themselves at the boarding gate with the number of the flight after an appeal court decision said passengers must be able to prove they were on a delayed flight to claim compensation.
It comes after low-cost airline XL Airways France challenged a family鈥檚 right to compensation for a five-hour delay on a flight from Miami to Paris. The move was described by Morgan Bour颅ven of consumer rights group UFC Que Choisir as an 鈥渁stonishing blow for passengers鈥�.
The family of three lodged a claim for 鈧�600 each and included copies of electronic reservations and proof of delay but it was rejected by the company and then by a lower court.
This was backed by the Cour de Cassation appeal court, saying electronic tickets 鈥渆stab颅lish颅ed the right to transport but do not prove they showed up at the airport or boarded the plane鈥�.
It was up to the passenger to provide proof of boarding and, with most airlines now allowing electronic ticketing and automatic boarding passes there was no simple way to get this proof without paying for extras onboard or at the airport.
Although airlines must keep a passenger register for security purposes, the court said it was the passenger鈥檚 duty to provide tangible proof of boarding, information the court admitted was held 鈥渙nly by the airline鈥�.
Mr Bourven said 鈥渁t the least XL Airways acted in bad faith鈥�. The family was asked for proof 鈥渢o which it did not have access鈥�.
For the moment only people seeking compensation from French airlines are affected and there are calls to amend the law.
In the interim, he said passengers should create their own proof by paying to put luggage in the hold; asking the airline for a printed boarding pass, which usually costs extra; keeping till receipts for credit card purchases made in departures or keeping a record of your location at the airport at the given time on a smartphone.
To get 鈥榝ree鈥� proof, it was a case of getting neighbours on the plane to attest you were there, taking a selfie in front of the gate with the flight number shown 鈥� or taking photos with airline staff. A line of people asking for selfies with the pilot could cause a rethink.
