« Extraordinary circumstances, we don’t owe them anything ». I’ve heard that sentence in crisis rooms more than once during major disruptions.
Everyone nods and the decisions follow.
Who booked the hotels? No one.
Who gave instructions to the ground teams being yelled at by passengers? No one.
As a result, passengers sleep in the terminal. And you read about it on social media the next morning.
Except Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 says otherwise. Extraordinary circumstance exempts from compensation. It does not exempt from Care & Assistance.
Transport and accommodation are owed as long as the passenger has a booked ticket. I’ve seen this distinction get blurred at the decision-making level multiple times. Then, can you imagine blaming your ground staff for giving the incorrect legal compensation amount to a passenger? (« 400€ » instead of « 250€ »).
If the people leading a crisis response don’t know what they legally owe passengers, the response is already failing before it even starts.
Do people leading your crisis know their legal requirements ?
