What happened
A German traveler participated in the SAS EuroBonus million mile challenge, booking a KLM flight from Munich (MUC) to Amsterdam (AMS) and a separate Air Europa ticket from Paris (CDG) to Madrid (MAD). After his KLM flight was canceled, he was rebooked via Berlin and then Vienna, but subsequent cancellations made it impossible to reach Paris in time for his morning flight. With no more flights, trains, or buses available late in the day, he hired a taxi for approximately 9 hours, costing €3,300 (~$3,900), to reach Paris 90 minutes before his departure. He sued for EC261 compensation and reimbursement of the taxi fare. While a lower court initially denied the claim, a higher court ruled in his favor, determining the airline failed to offer suitable alternative transportation timing. The airline reportedly appealed but ultimately paid the taxi fare plus legal costs, establishing a precedent for reasonable alternative transport reimbursement under EU261