Majority think ‘compo culture’ has gone too far
Six out of 10 respondents in a TravelMole poll think the claim culture has gone too far.
The poll was conducted last week among TravelMole readers following a judge’s decision to award €400 in compensation to a baby for a Ryanair flight delay.
The ruling was made despite the fact the six-month-old was sitting on her father’s knees and a ticket had not been purchased for her.
Ryanair had compensated Crystal’s parents and sister for the nine-hour delay to their flight from Lanzarote to Birmingham, but argued Crystal was not covered by EU261 flight delay compensation rules because she was travelling without a ticket and didn’t have her own seat.
The judge said that did not mean she was not a passenger and dismissed Ryanair’s argument that a six-month-old would not have been inconvenienced by the delay and that compensation would be a ‘windfall’.
Ryanair described the ruling as ‘compo culture gone mad’ and the majority of TravelMole readers appear to agree, according to the survey, which asked: ‘Ryanair ordered to pay baby €400 compensation – has the claim culture gone too far?’
Of those that took part, 60% said ‘yes’, while 40% said ‘no’.
Lawyers for Bott & Co, who represented the baby, claimed the decision could cost airlines £10 million a year in compensation claims.
Ryanair warned prices would have to rise to pay for such ‘idiotic infant compo claims’.
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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