Originally Posted by
Markam
It is my understanding that the above does not constitute "extraordinary circumstances beyond the airline control", as then it would mean that no delays at all are due to airline's fault (Air Canada could have had more spare capacity, more crew on call, more time between flights, etc.), and that is why I am pursuing this so intently.
My gut tells me that this is indeed the way things are headed - where almost nothing is claim-worthy due to the way the law is being interpreted. If a plane losing pressure over the ocean doesn't qualify, it's hard to think of what would.
In your case, as long as AC can prove that the initial event in the chain reaction was extraordinary (i.e., a well-maintained plane had an unforeseeable problem), the resulting cascade of delays for any reason may not be relevant to determining eligibility for compensation. It doesn't even have to be a problem with your flight or even your plane, as long as something in the chain of events was exceptional.