Now safely home after arriving in MAN 25 hours later than the original schedule, here are some observations based on my experience.

• The IRROP happened at SK’s hub airport and not at some outstation.
• After waiting for an hour for my turn at the Service Desk I was only given taxi and hotel vouchers. Wasn’t there a more efficient way to do the same if the agent was unable to rebook pax on alternative flights?
• Many people waiting at the Service Desk were passengers on a “delayed” flight to DUS (another CR9 flight which was later cancelled). An agent was walking among the crowd, handing out restaurant vouchers and telling them to return in one hour. Had they not been sent away the rest of us would have waited much longer for our turn.
• Not sure how effective the queuing system based on three types of numbered tickets is: Go, Business/Plus, EuroBonus status/*G.
• While waiting in the queue at the Service Desk I searched for alternative flights back to MAN that evening. There was some availability on LH via FRA and MUC. I mentioned this to the Service Desk agent but was told there were no available flights.

I could go on but what seems clear is Service Desk agents were not empowered to do anything. I and others were eventually rebooked to fly to an airport 243km away as the crow flies or 4 hours away by tube and train. There was no way I could carry two cases across London to catch a train. BA has regular flights between LHR and MAN but I doubt if SK staff who rebooked us to LHR even considered or were able to put us on LHR-MAN flights.

Cancellations do happen and airlines are expected to pay for the consequences through duty of care and/or EU compensation unless under exceptional circumstrances. But there’s no penalty for incompetent IRROPS handling other than through possible loss of customers as suggested in this thread.

Staff especially incompetent ones are expensive. SK should consider investing in something like this used by their competitors: Amadeus Ticket Changer (ATC) Disruption automates tickets handling and online rebooking

I have only flown on SK in Economy in the past (two longhaul returns and some shorthauls) and enjoyed flying to NRT and back in business very much. I regularly fly to TYO and my usual carriers are LH, NH and LX. I chose SK this time because the fare was nearly 20% less than the next lowest I could find and booked into a higher booking class. I may book SK to TYO again if the schedule suits but will build in enough buffer for any possible IRROPS.