Late justice

Justice with a delay

The Temel couple have seen a lot of the world, including the Principality of Monaco. There were never any problems, except when they tried to fly from Madrid to Vienna-Schwechat.(Bild: zVg)

Three people were compensated for the cancellation of a flight and the resulting three-hour delay, but the fourth was not at first. Only a lawsuit led to success.

Elisabeth and Hubert Temel from Rotenturm an der Pinka have "traveled three quarters of the world". "But we've never encountered such an injustice," says the 65-year-old.

What happened? In the fall of 2023, the South Burgenlanders were in Spain and boarded an Iberia plane in Madrid that was supposed to take them to Vienna-Schwechat. After half an hour on the runway, they were told that the rudder was faulty. So they got off the plane and waited. After a three-hour delay, the Temels finally arrived in Austria. Now they exercised their right to demand compensation from the airline.

Hubert Temel and a couple of friends who had been on the trip were each paid 400 euros without hesitation. Elisabeth Temel, however, was the only one to be left out. She was informed in writing: "In your case, our options were limited by circumstances beyond our control."

This is a common game played by some airlines. The 400 euros were paid out to my client just three days after the complaint was lodged.

Rechtsanwalt Martin Behal

Bild: zVg

"Really incomprehensible"
What to do? We unsuccessfully asked the consumer protection department of the Chamber of Labor and the travel agency where the flight had been booked. "Thank goodness we have legal protection insurance," says the 59-year-old, who turned to Oberwart lawyer Martin Behal. "It's really incomprehensible that three people receive compensation and the fourth doesn't," says the lawyer, who filed a lawsuit. "Why should it have been exceptional circumstances in the case of the woman of all people?"

And lo and behold: Elisabeth Temel got her justice!