Airlines should no longer refuse compensation if passengers are unable to provide a paper boarding pass when filing a claim. A clear signal to airlines to stop requesting unnecessary documents. In a previous ruling, the French Supreme Court ruled that it is up to the victims of a delayed flight to issue the boarding pass as proof of their presence at the check-in counter. This ruling is now being overturned by the Court of Justice.

Digital boarding passs

Passengers who check in online are offered the option by most airlines to send the boarding pass to their mobile phone. The mobile boarding pass contains all the information that is also on a paper boarding pass and, in combination with a valid ID, is sufficient to get on board. The applicants in this case therefore consider that this digital development should be taken into account when compensating in case of flight delay.

Boardingpass no proof

They also assume that being in possession of a boarding pass does not demonstrate that a passenger actually reported at a check-in desk or was on board the delayed aircraft.

European Court of Justice ruling

The Court states that passengers are only required to have a confirmed booking and to report to the flight check-in counter. Therefore, with a flight delay compensation claim, there is no obligation to present a boarding pass to the airline. If the airline has information to show that a passenger was not on a delayed flight, it is for the national court to verify and rule on this.

Awareness of travelers in the EU

The ECC is an expert in European consumer law and a point of contact for legal questions and complaints from consumers in the EU. It has centers in thirty countries. By actively informing travelers about the rights they have, for example in the event of flight delay or cancellation, it increases ECC raising awareness among travelers and making it easier for them to claim what they are entitled to. For example, travelers can use a so-called flight calculator on the ECC website to calculate how high the compensation they are entitled to.

Also read: No refund options for airline tickets