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BA pays damages to passenger who was moved

Paula Fentiman,Press Association
Friday 25 June 2010 07:01 BST
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A male passenger who claimed British Airways discriminated against him has received an apology and compensation from the airline.

Mirko Fischer, 33, was told to move after he swapped seats with his wife so she could sit next to the window and ended up sitting next to a boy he did not know.

BA's policy for unaccompanied minors stipulates that adult males travelling alone cannot sit next to children flying on their own.

The policy is currently under review, a BA spokesman said.

Mr Fischer was travelling from London to his home in Luxembourg when cabin crew intervened during the flight in April last year.

He accused staff of harassing him and claimed the policy contravened the Sex Discrimination Act.

Mr Fischer said he felt "embarrassed, humiliated and angry" while BA initially said when staff made the request for him to return to his allocated seat they genuinely believed he was travelling alone.

BA and Mr Fischer, who was represented by Daniel Tivadar, of 3 Hare Court, agreed an out-of-court settlement yesterday.

The airline is understood to have admitted sex discrimination in Mr Fischer's case and agreed to pay £750 in damages and £2,161 in costs.

Mr Fischer donated the damages payout and more than £2,000 of his own money to the child protection charities Kidscape and Orphans in the Wild, the BBC reported.

A BA spokesman said: "We are pleased to have settled this matter with Mr Fischer and are sorry for any difficulties which were caused."

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