The European Union’s top court has ruled that dogs traveling in an airplane’s cargo hold are legally considered “baggage,” limiting the compensation airlines must pay if they are lost.
The ruling came from a case involving Spanish airline Iberia and a passenger whose dog escaped and went missing during a flight from Buenos Aires to Barcelona in 2019. The passenger sought €5,000 in damages, but the court sided with the airline.
The court stated that even though the term “baggage” typically refers to objects, pets are not excluded from the concept. This means compensation is limited to the standard amount for lost luggage under international air travel treaties, unless a passenger makes a special declaration of value for the pet at check-in.
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