Should Qatar Airways pay for its eight-hour delay?

Have a question? Ask our expert Simon Calder

Sue’s family were stuck in Doha and missed their connection (Reuters)

Q Members of my family were delayed on 28 February from Perth to Doha with Qatar Airways by eight hours because of a technical issue. They missed their connection back to the UK and arrived 24 hours late. The airline will not compensate. Should it?

Sue B

A European air passengers’ rights rules stipulate compensation for delays of three hours or more, unless the airline can come up with a legitimate excuse (and technical failure does not count as a reason to avoid paying). But the regulations apply to non-EU airlines such as Qatar Airways only when flying from European airports. Even though Perth to Doha was the first stage of a journey to Europe, it doesn’t count.