Luggage

All-in air fares, airline employees able to help stranded passengers immediately, and proper compensation when airlines go bust are the key requests set out in a resolution on air passengers' rights voted by the Transport and Tourism Committee on Tuesday.

With a view to a forthcoming revision of the relevant EU legislation, the resolution calls on the European Commission to clarify air passengers' rights, ensure that legislation protecting them is applied uniformly, and take measures to improve the accountability of airlines.

By decison of Dec. 12, 2011, the EU Council has approved the accession of the European Union to the Protocol of 2002 to the Athens Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea, 1974 (‘Athens Protocol’), with the exception of Articles 10 and 11 thereof.

Preliminary ruling before ECJ lodged by Audiencia Provincial de Barcelona (national reference: QP/07238-A9, decision as of June 15, 2011): C-410/11 (Pedro Espada Sánchez ea/Iberia) Questions referred (1)    Must the limit of 1 000 Special Drawing Rights per passenger, laid down in Article 22 of the Montreal Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air, concerning the liability of the carrier in the case of destruction, loss or damage of baggage, considered in conjunction with Article 3(3) of that convention, be interpreted as a ma

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) fined the German airline Lufthansa $50,000 for limiting reimbursements for delayed baggage to less than consumers were entitled under the Montreal Convention.