So, what do we think of these then?

I listened to a report that said passengers who had paid as little as £10 for a flight would still be able to claim £173 compensation depending on the length of their delay.

I just can't see how these budget operators are going to cope with this. Sometimes delays are not the fault of the airlines. so, who will determine who is at fault?

I've heard that some of the operators are planning a legal challenge to these new rules.

If a large plane suffers a lengthy delay you could be talking thousands in compensation. I hope this won't mean corners been cut to ensure flights are on time.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4271197.stm

I'm still sitting on the fence with this. It's one thing to have a £40 flight delayed a bit, but to be told to find your own way to another airport to get home with said ticket is another kettle of fish. Anything that reduces this practice is a step in the right direction.

If the rules remain then I think the long term effect will inevitably be that ticket prices rise.

I think it's unlikely corners will be cut. As one 'analyst ' said yesterday, if you think price rises are bad for the airlines, it's nothing compared to the cost of a crash that proves to be down to their negligence.

As long as the guidelines are clearly set out. It does sound like there are a few loopholes for the airlines to exploit. Perhaps, we could apply these rules to the railways as well?

According to experts it's actually pretty rare that a flight is delayed long enough to warrant a payout anyway. Given the amount of flights each operator runs then it doesn't look like this will make much difference to their profits.