Train and Flight on a Tight Schedule: Should the Airline Reimburse Fees? [ABO]

A couple approached the Mediation after incurring additional expenses following a schedule change to their trip, which combined a train journey with a flight to South Korea.

The travelers had booked a single ticket that included a train ride to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, followed by a flight to Seoul. After a schedule change, the flight was moved up by more than an hour, reducing the layover to just 1 hour and 50 minutes.

Feeling this interval insufficient to comfortably complete the connection, they chose not to use the planned train and instead left the day before. This decision incurred train, hotel, meals and transportation costs, totaling more than €500.

On the legal front, the Mediation recalls that European Regulation No. 261/2004 does not apply to multimodal tickets combining a train and a plane within a single contract. The file is therefore assessed under the general contract law framework.

Under Article 1217 of the Civil Code, a traveler can seek redress when the contract is not performed as agreed.

Yet, in this case, the layover was only 1 hour 50 minutes, while Paris airport guidelines require a minimum 2 hours 30 minutes between a train and a flight.

The Mediation also notes that the airline ultimately accommodated the passengers on the Seoul-bound flight even though they had not taken the intended train segment, which amounts to acknowledging that they had to organise themselves at their own initiative.

Under these circumstances, the Mediation concludes that the costs incurred to reach Paris the day before may be reimbursed on the basis of contractual liability, provided that the travelers furnish the supporting documents.

It therefore recommends covering the duly justified expenses.

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