Airline Offers €20 After Passenger With Reduced Mobility Is Left to Climb Plane Stairs Alone
A passenger with reduced mobility had booked assistance to board a flight to Morocco. He had explicitly stated that he could not climb stairs. Despite this precaution, he says he had to board the plane on his own. A mediator reviewed his complaint.
When booking, the passenger had selected an option suited to his abilities: he could walk short distances but could not climb the steps leading to the aircraft. This specific information was supposed to determine the assistance provided during boarding.
According to his account, however, the staff member assigned to assist him left him at the bottom of the stairs. The passenger says he had to climb them alone, despite having flagged the difficulty. He also accuses the staff member of refusing to carry his personal belongings.
After the flight, he sought compensation from the airline. The company refused to grant his complaint. The case was then reviewed by the Tourism and Travel Ombudsman, in an case made public on October 30 by TourMaG.
Stairs: mediator acknowledges a failure
The dispute concerns two separate services. Based on the evidence reviewed, the mediator found that the assistance selected did not include the additional help requested with personal belongings or an escort to the seat. Those complaints were therefore not upheld in this case.
The stairs, however, were a different matter. The passenger had specifically stated in his initial request that he could not climb them. The mediator considers that leaving him at the bottom of the steps amounted to a failure to provide the assistance he had booked.
European regulations on the rights of passengers with reduced mobility provide for free boarding assistance at airports in the European Union, including through lifts or adapted equipment. Passengers are advised to report their needs at least 48 hours before departure.
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Citing Article 1217 of the Civil Code, which allows compensation to be sought for a service that was not properly performed, the mediator recommends that the airline give the passenger a €20 voucher to settle the dispute.
