Hi everyone,

Apologies that this isn't about a BA flight, but I was advised that this would be the best place to seek some guidance on UK 261. I was on Qatar Airways flight QR110 from London Heathrow (LHR) to Doha, originally scheduled to depart at 15:30 on 11 Dec. Unfortunately, it was delayed, causing me to miss my connecting flight QR806 to Narita. My original connection was due to depart Doha at 2:15 am and arrive in Narita at 17:55 on 12 Dec. Because of the delay, I was rebooked on the next available flights, which included a long layover in Hanoi, with the final flight arriving in Narita on 13 Dec at 06:35, over 12 hours later than planned.

After emailing Qatar Airways to request compensation (without specifically mentioning UK261), I received the following response:

"...there are occasions when flights are delayed due to circumstances beyond our control as it unfortunately happened with QR008, which was due to medical reasons that were unavoidable and beyond our control due to the nature of the situation. ...Regretfully, no compensation is payable on this occasion as the nature of the delay is extraordinary and beyond our control. However, we are in receipt of your expenses and they are under deliberation by the relevant department. We will revert to you accordingly once reports are received."

Just to clarify, I was actually on QR110, not QR008 as the customer service rep mistakenly referenced.

I want to follow up with Qatar Airways to ensure I’m getting the maximum compensation possible. I understand that UK261 does allow for exemptions for extraordinary circumstances, but that term is quite vague, which seems to give airlines some wiggle room. The lady at the airport mentioned that the delay was due to mechanical issues (unfortunately, I didn’t get this in writing at the time), and she said they might offer compensation, but she wasn’t clear on the amount.

How should I approach this? Here’s what I was thinking of sending to Qatar Airways:

*"To assist me in understanding the situation more fully, I kindly request additional details regarding the nature of this medical emergency and supporting documentation confirming that it was the direct cause of the delay. Specifically, I would appreciate any evidence demonstrating that this incident qualifies as an extraordinary circumstance under EU Regulation 261/2004, which would exempt the airline from compensating passengers.

I would also like clarification on the deliberation process for my expenses and a timeline for when I can expect to receive compensation or reimbursement."*

Do you think this approach will work, or do you have any suggestions on how I can strengthen it to maximize my chances of getting compensation?

Thanks in advance!