A tribunal says Flair Airlines must fork over hundreds of dollars in compensation to a man whose crab meat and fish cakes went bad in his luggage, which was delayed for several days.

In a ruling Thursday, the B.C. Civil Resolution Tribunal ordered the discount carrier to pay Brian Vu $780 for the spoiled items as well as baggage fees, interest and legal costs.

Vu flew from British Columbia to Ontario on Nov. 6, 2022, paying $72 to check two bags, one of which did not arrive until Nov. 10.

The tardy luggage contained sea cucumbers and dandelion root as well as the crab and fish, all of which went bad, amounting to a loss of $522, the traveller said.

Flair argued it was not liable because its actions did not cause the spoilage and because its contract with passengers bars them from packing perishable items in checked bags.

However, the tribunal says carriers are responsible for checked bags once they accept them, even if they contain items they shouldn’t.