If your flight is delayed, it means that you will get meals and two telephone calls, faxes or emails after a certain number of hours have passed, depending on the distance of the flight. Two hours is normal for flights less than 1,500kms.
For flight cancellations, compensation should be paid but I've only ever heard of this happening if a flight was overbooked, in which case it's very obvious that the airline was at fault. More often than not, airlines will offer 'technical problem' due to 'extraordinary circumstances' as the reason for the cancellation. Don't accept it at face value. Ask the airline in writing what was the exact reason for the 'technical problem'. If it was in fact something that goes wrong with all aircraft or if another aircraft could potentially have been available to make the flight, then their refusal is illegal. In my case, faulty engine bearings were the problem, but after researching this, I found out that this is a potential issue with all aircraft and not necessarily 'extraordinary' and after many weeks of emails, the airline handed over most of the compensation.
Remember that the burden of proof is on the airline in relation to the cause of the cancellation and if they are found guilty of refusing compensation for a legitimate claim, they may be subject to fines of £5,000 per passenger.
Also may be of interest:
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