Airlines may pay out for one-hour UK flight delays

[PAXboy]

Reported on BBC
Airline passengers on UK domestic flights are being promised a fairer and simpler compensation process for delays under proposals announced on Monday.

The new rules would mean travellers could claim for delays of more than an hour, whereas currently they have to have been held up for over three hours.

The plans would replace EU compensation rules the UK retained after Brexit.
BBC web news (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60197462)

[Hartington]

There's a whole industry within the railway industry devoted to "delay attribution". A train belonging to operator "A" breaks down and causes a delay to operator "B" or the signals "have a moment" and cause delays to operators A, B and C and the industtry cranks into motion to work out who should pay who just so the passenger gets some compensation. The difference with the airlines is that, in some cases, the compensation is paid automatically (particularly if you purchased direct from the operator and they have agreed with the DfT to work that way).
Fast forward to the airlines and airline A can't get off stand because airline B is blocking the taxiway and that's because ATC has problems etc etc. and I can see the railway experience and "mini industry" beginning to take shape in the airlines!

[nuisance79]

I doubt that passengers will benefit from this in the long term should it be implemented. Most probably it will lead to fewer rotations, slightly longer turn-around times and ultimately higher Air Fares.

[PAXboy]

Yes, that would not surprise me nuisance79. We all saw how the carriers reacted once their on time arrivals were listed and categorised. Given all the other fallout from the last two years and no one knowing how the next five will pan out - this is an unwelcome stick.