Return leg flights cancelled, any requirement for the airline to pay for room & board?

Question

My daughter is returning from Europe LIS-LHR-ORD and was just notified that her return flight on the 21st (that's tomorrow) has been cancelled and that BA is offering her flights on the 24th instead. (Apparently the next available.)

While she won't mind a couple of extra days bopping around Lisbon, is there any way to get BA on the hook for room and board for 3 nights in a hotel? What are the rules in Europe/UK about this?

She's traveling economy, and, knowing her, she's got the cheapest of cheap seats (she's very price efficient), so there's not a lot of wiggle room in her ticket bucket. I don't have all the details, but could probably get them if necessary.

Note: she does have a commitment back in the states this weekend that she'll be very sorry to miss, so she'll work on getting something sooner to make it back on time. If that falls through, she's also got travel insurance (I guess that's what it's for), but it seems that it would be more appropriate for BA to pay for accommodations, at least, since this is the return leg, not the outgoing leg of the journey.

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Interestingly, Flightview Free (the app I use to stalk all my kids when they travel ;), just notified me that the LIS-LHR flight was cancelled, but still indicates that the LHR-ORD flight is still scheduled. I know that there is no guarantee that this 2nd leg is still on the books, but I've armed my daughter with that knowledge. If it's still scheduled, she'll definitely push BA to get her to LHR any way possible in order to make that 2nd leg flight.

Answer 1

Since your flight is originating in the EU you should be entitled to compensation under EU 261 unless BA cites a reason for the cancellation that would exempt them.

There is "right to care" that's part of EU 261 but also BA terms & conditions (https://www.britishairways.com/en-us/information/legal/flight-cancellation-compensation)

Right to care Where a flight has been cancelled, or is subject to a long delay, passengers are entitled to refreshments and meals in a reasonable relation to their waiting time as well as means of contacting two people outside the airport. These provisions apply according to the duration of the expected delay and the distance of the flight as follows:

Delay of two hours or more for flights of 1500 km or less

Delay of three hours or more for all flights within the EU of more than 1500 km and all other flights between 1500km and 3500 km

Delay of four hours or more for all other flights.

In addition, the operating carrier will provide hotel accommodation if necessary and provide transport between the airport and place of accommodation. Passengers will be advised of the arrangements for obtaining refreshments, transport and hotel accommodation, by the carrier.

I would recommend your daughter calling BA and specifically mentioning EU 261 and "Right to Care" from BA T&Cs . I can help to quote the phrase verbatim on the phone. Chances are BA will try to wiggle out here, so it's important to be polite but insistent and mention legal terms a lot.

Your daughter can also ask for a refund, but that is unlikely to cover the cost of a new one way which starts at $920 for tomorrow, July 21.