Airline compensates a passenger after apologising for selling him ticket

Aya El Deeb, Staff Reporter

The Abu Dhabi Court for Family and Civil and Administrative Cases obligated an airline to pay 4,150 points or its equivalent in UAE dirhams to a passenger, and a moral compensation of Dhs5,000, in addition to the fees and expenses.

The details of the case date back to an earlier time when a traveller filed a lawsuit in which he demanded to oblige an airline to pay him 4,150 points or its equivalent in the amount of Dhs21,348.3, with a legal interest of 12% from the date of filing the lawsuit until payment, besides a moral compensation of Dhs5,000 and the fees and expenses.

The traveller stated that he wanted to return to Abu Dhabi through the airline, but the company sold his ticket, which prevented him from travelling on the same day and had to travel the next day.

The plaintiff enclosed in his claim a photocopy of an economic licence, a travel ticket translated legally, and a letter from the airline translated legally also.

The airline's lawyer demanded that the lawsuit be dismissed for the passenger's failure to file a written protest to the airline.

The court indicated that the translated letter submitted by the traveller proved the company's apology for selling the ticket to him and its readiness to compensate him with $200, in the event he wanted.

The court stressed that the airline's sale of the passenger's ticket caused him psychological pain and distress, and therefore he deserved moral compensation. The court rejected the claim for legal interest.