Judge throws out ‘late check-in’ case against budget airline
A judge has dismissed a prosecution brought by a family against Jet2.com after they missed their flight due to a late check-in.
A district judge at Bradford County Court threw out a case by a family of three from the city who missed a flight from Manchester to Budapest and a subsequent medical school exam.
The judge ruled that the family, who were due to fly on August 21 last year, had not allowed enough time to check-in for the flight. Having missed a train from Yorkshire, they arrived at the airport to check-in after the flight had closed. The airline recommends passengers arrive at least 90 minutes before departure, with check-in closing 40 minutes before take off.
The family were forced to pay costs, the airline’s court attendance expenses plus legal fees.
Jet2.com chief executive Philip Meeson, who pledged to fight similar cases in the courts, said: “We will be carrying over two million passengers this summer, so it is a timely reminder that travellers should plan their journeys to airports with consideration for potential hold-ups.”
He added: “While we sympathise with the family, especially as an important exam was missed, it is a cautionary tale for air passengers that they should aim to check-in at least 90 minutes before departure.
“We need to ensure that all our flights depart on time to avoid subsequent delays to the next wave of departures and the inconvenience that can cause. We need to close check-in for flights at a set time to ensure that passengers can get to the departure gate on time, baggage can be loaded on time and the aircraft captain can calculate the fuel required for the flight in order to depart on time.”
Report by Phil Davies
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