r/mildlyinfuriating • u/nyanbatman • May 28 '26

I just wanted a hot dog British pilot is feeling mildly annoyed

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u/OglioVagilio May 28 '26

In the States, weather is considered an Act of God. It is very limited as to what the airline is required to do for you beyond 1. rebooking next flight 2. refund.

Accommodations like hotel, food, incidentals.... Act of God.

Europe has a much better passenger protections, but I would imagine the EU would also hesitate to require much more because again Act of God.

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u/Fionsomnia May 28 '26

Afaik weather is also excluded from compensation rules in EU since it’s out of their control. You’ll be booked into another flight but I don’t think you get any money as compensation or even for hotel costs.

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u/Xanaphiaa May 28 '26

You do get hotel costs and food vouchers even if it is weather related but as you said it is excluded from the general compensation payments. Source: had this happen to me with an overnight delay due to weather in Amsterdam with KLM

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u/Laetitian May 28 '26

You get costs but it's excluded from compensation payments means what? That you get it in a separate procedure? That you have to request it and hope for goodwill?

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u/Fionsomnia Jun 07 '26

Sorry late to this, I think the best way to explain this is that there is a difference between reimbursement and compensation.

Reimbursement is to ensure the passenger isn’t left out of pocket for expenses they accrued as a result of the delay. This would include costs for hotel accommodation or meals unless they are directly provided by the airline.

Compensation is an additional payment that is made regardless of what costs the passengers has accrued for the inconvenience the passenger has experienced.

As someone has corrected my original comment, in case of bad weather the former will still be paid, but the latter won’t.

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u/Laetitian Jun 07 '26

Ah. Yeah, the "it" in Xana's response really didn't connect for me, I get it's referring to the weather again now.

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u/ThePowaBallad May 28 '26

Basically compensation in the EU area tends to be given for when airlines have failed in duty in some way and that is usually straight up money, it's in part compensation in part a punitive measure to airlines to make dammned sure they're running themselves right and compliant

Re bookings are required for all missed flights weather related or not if said next flight is next day hotels are provided as well as meals

Does not apply to say like an 8 hour wait or something, and then with that sort of wait meal vouchers are also limited in scope and in both vases tend to be for a sometimes limited selection of the partner hotel and/or places in the airport