Originally Posted by
TotalBeginner
If the delay is outside of the airline's control then they do not have to provide compensation. However, passengers in the EU do have certain rights. It goes something like...
For a delay of more than 1 hr: Free transfer
For a delay of more than 2 hrs: Meals/Refreshements
For a delay of more than 5 hrs: Free transfer/Refund/Flight back to original point of departure
The EU Regulation provides for two levels of action by the airline - financial compensation, and duty of care.
Financial compensation applies in the case of denied boarding due to overbooking, and to flight cancellation for reasons outside the airline's control. It does not apply to delay.
Duty of care (meals, refreshments, overnight accommodation as appropriate) apply to all delays, not just those beyond the airline's control. The refund or flight back to original departure point is widely misunderstood, it only applies if, because of the delay, the journey serves no purpose. What it means is that you can scrap your entire journey and cash in your ticket, even though it may be nominally non-refundable.
The 'flight back to original departure point' refers to multi-sector journeys where you haven't got to your first destination yet. So you're going from Hong Kong to watch the Cup Final in Cardiff but your Amsterdam-Cardiff flight on Puddlejump Airways is delayed, Puddlejump Airways is obliged to get you back to Hong Kong and refund you the entire cost of your journey.