EU rules on this 14 hour delay?
 

I was just wondering if the delay on this itinerary is subject to European Union rules (compensation) or just UA's potential goodwill.

Here is the itinerary (one ticket, all on one day, legal connection times):

CGN -> LHR (LH on UA flight number)
LHR -> ORD (UA)
ORD -> YVR (UA)
YVR -> YYJ (AC on UA flight number).

Flight UA 1141 from ORD to YVR (I withhold the date) was delayed by almost two hours for the most moronic reason I have ever heard of: somebody at UA forgot to file a document with US customs that was required for the flight to go into Canada. We sat at the gate for two hours with a helpless crew and helpless ground agents waiting for this bureaucratic mess to be sorted out.

The two-hour delay leaving Chicago turned into almost two hours arriving in Vancouver. At that point, the last flight of the day going to Victoria had just left - stranding me in Vancouver overnight. UA protected me on a 1 pm flight to YYJ and paid for hotel accomodation. The 1 pm AC flight on the next day was also a good hour late... resulting in more than 14 hours total delay.

Question here: up to which point was that itinerary under EU rules? Just to ORD or all the way? Second question: under EU rules, was the delay 14 hours (to my final destination) or just 2 hours (UA 1141 to YVR)?

What would you ask from UA in the way of compensation, if anything?

I think under EU rules - nothing.

If it was CGN-LHR or LHR-ORD, then you might have a case (TBH, you'd have a heck of a time getting anything on those filights, even if delayed, anyway).

But once you landed in US, there is no obiligation, as you have flown the 'EU' segemnts.

Even if you have a claim under EU rules, they fullfilled them - the rebooked you on the next filight and provided hotel and meals.

So I would chock it up to stuff occurs and move on.