Spanish judge rules against Ryanair

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MADRID, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- A judge in Spain has ordered Irish airline Ryanair to pay $1,300 to a family that was denied boarding because their 4-year-old had no identification.

The judge ruled the airline, which did not show up for the hearing, had technically denied boarding to the parents as well, even though it offered to allow the parents to fly.

ThinkSpain reported Saturday that the parents, when they were told their 4-year-old daughter was not allowed to board the plane, asked airline officials, "are you going to look after her while we're away, then?"

The incident occurred in March 2011. At the time, the parents re-routed their trip, which required trains, buses and another plane.

Originally, they were trying to fly from Valencia to Palma de Mallorca. Instead, they had to make it to Sevilla to catch a plane that would get them to their destination.

In Spain, children under 14 are not required to carry identification if they are traveling with parents or legal guardians, ThinkSpain reported.