Compensation for Couple After 26 Hour Delay

A British couple has won a £430 payout after being delayed more than an entire day to fly home from Majorca.
61 year-old architect, Kim Brittain, and his wife, 55 year-old Sue, took legal action against Monarch Airlines after being stranded amongst 200 travellers for 26 hours at Palma de Mallorca Airport.
Their case is a first for UK courts, and could give the green light to thousands of other similar cases.
The success follows a step-up in airline accountability last October, when the European Court of Justice declared that carriers must provide compensation for delays resulting from their own failures, such as staffing problems and technical faults.
But according to Mr Brittain, Monarch had refused to reimburse them for the delay and dragged them through the courts.
The couple fought on not just for their own benefit, but also to set the bar for the other 180,000 people faced with comparable holiday issues each year, they said.
180,000 Passengers Every Year Experience Flight Issues
The incident took place in the summer of 2012. On July 3, the couple's flight was scheduled to leave Majorca for Birmingham Airport at 10:45AM, but their flight did not leave for another 25 hours and 57 minutes - finally departing at 12:42PM the following day.
In the meantime, passengers were left to roam around the sweltering airport terminal. They were provided with food stamps for meals, but these had to be supplemented with their own money.
Eventually, Monarch sent a bus and transported the frustrated travellers to a hotel, arriving only 20 minutes prior to the restaurant closing, giving them little time to enjoy a meal.
Distressed by their experience, the couple from Worcestershire appealed for compensation from Monarch.
Initially, the carrier refused to pay out, regarding the cause of the delay as a result of "exceptional circumstances." But after refusing to give in, Mr and Mrs Brittain were awarded their full compensation claim by a judge at Worcester County Court of £430 plus legal costs.
"The airlines try to scare people off with the prospect of court proceedings but I knew we were in the right and decided to fight it," Mr Brittain said.
Do you know your rights? Check out Airport International's guide to compensation to see what you are entitled to.

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