United Airlines v. Willie J. Uy

Summary

United Airlines passenger Willie J. Uy sued for damages after being publicly humiliated by airline employees over overweight luggage at San Francisco Airport and having his luggage slashed with contents stolen upon Manila arrival. The airline moved to dismiss based on Warsaw Convention's two-year limitation period. The Supreme Court distinguished between two causes of action: humiliating treatment (governed by Civil Code tort provisions) and luggage damage (Warsaw Convention). While the luggage claim was filed beyond the two-year limit, the Court applied the substantial compliance doctrine, ruling that the airline's delaying tactics in responding to settlement demands excused the late filing. The Court affirmed that both causes of action could proceed, emphasizing that Warsaw Convention does not preclude Civil Code liability for employee misconduct and passenger rights violations.