This issue just came up on the other thread discussion with the "Two Bens", but instead of clogging up that thread with potentially off-topic issues, I thought I'd just run a new thread as there seems to be some confusion on this.

What is the official AC policy on providing hotels/meals during IRROPS?

I've never read an official policy, but I always assumed that there was an international rule that airlines have an obligation of care for international passengers from point of origin to destination. As such, if delayed over night in a transit city (but not an origin city) for weather or other reasons, then the airline is obligated to provide hotel accommodation.

The last time I experienced an IRROP on AC was about 18 months ago. I was flying YEG-YVR-HKG-SIN. Owing to weather, I and a number of other passengers connecting in YVR missed our flight to HKG (fog in YVR forced our in-bound flights from AB and SK to divert to YYC and by the time we made it back to YVR the flight to HKG had been sent on its way). AC put all of us connecting passengers up in hotels overnight (Fairmont YVR for a lucky few of us, Holiday Inn and Radisson for the rest).

I always travel with insurance, so it's not a big problem, but it would be good to have this policy (assuming it exists), its exemptions, regional variations and terms clarified.