Is HK$100 Fair Compensation for a 17-Hour Flight Delay?

What happened in Chongqing in September 2012?

A Chongqing–Beijing flight delayed 17 hours offered each passenger just 100 yuan in transport compensation; 91 passengers refused to board, and the captain had their luggage offloaded and took off anyway. The 125 passengers were originally booked on MU8086 on Tuesday night; after waiting nearly 17 hours, they were rebooked onto CA1432 at 1pm Wednesday. Twenty-four gave up and boarded; while the remaining 91 kept negotiating, the airbridge retracted, bags were offloaded, and the plane left with 24 aboard — 91 were stranded overnight before being put up in a hotel.

Why was compensation so low?

Ground staff said the operating carrier, China United Airlines, set the terms and they had no say. A Chongqing lawyer noted airlines must compensate for delays of their own making, but under CAAC guidance the compensation scheme is at each airline’s discretion — nothing mandatory. CAAC data put major carriers’ on-time rate at just 77.9% that year.

How can travellers protect themselves?

Travel experts advise buying travel insurance in advance. Note, though, that delay cover usually excludes delays caused by war or military action — read the terms before buying.