KLM to Pay Over 9,000 Shekels to Two Passengers Denied Flight

The airline KLM will pay 9,037 shekels to two passengers who were denied boarding on a flight from Montreal to Israel due to a dispute over the number of checked bags included in their tickets. The Small Claims Court in Safed ruled that the error originated in the airline's baggage registration system. The two women, one of whom was heavily pregnant and the other traveling with an infant, had arrived for their flight via Amsterdam. At the counter, they discovered the system only showed entitlement to one checked bag, despite their claim that their tickets included two. They were directed to pay an additional fee at the gate, but their attempts to pay failed, and the gate subsequently closed. After the flight departed, KLM offered an alternative flight that would have landed in Israel on Shabbat. The passengers, who observe Shabbat, refused this offer and were eventually flown the following day via a different route. The court determined that their refusal on religious grounds did not negate their right to compensation. Senior Registrar Yosef Pinian found the passengers' account credible and pointed to inconsistencies in the documents presented by KLM. Each passenger was awarded 3,580 shekels in compensation, plus 677 shekels for food and travel expenses, and 1,200 shekels for legal costs. However, the court rejected their claim for exemplary damages and compensation for a lost suitcase, as it was not proven that KLM was responsible for its loss. The total payout amounts to 9,037 shekels out of an initial claim of 20,839 shekels.