Stranded but not forgotten?

EU PASSENGER RIGHTS LAW

Airlines are obliged to:
? Inform passengers about their rights;
? Offer stranded passengers accommodation and meals;
? Give passengers a choice between a refund or re-routing if their flight has been cancelled or delayed by more than five hours;
? Pay compensation of €125- €600 when flights are cancelled or delayed by more than three hours, unless this is caused by ‘extraordinary circumstances'.
Is the law enforced?
Numerous problems with enforcement were found when the European Commission investigated how the law worked during its first two years, in a report published in 2007. Food, drinks and accommodation were often not offered, while some airlines wrongly invoked force majeure to avoid giving passengers this assistance. The Commission also found that low-cost carriers seemed unwilling to organise re-routing with another airline, which meant passengers could be left stranded for days.
Where is the best place to experience a cancellation?
Belgium and Denmark were judged to be the countries best at enforcing the law, according to the 2007 Commission study. In Belgium, airline staff can even go to prison for a year for flouting the rules. But in other member states (not named by the Commission), national authorities lacked the resources to investigate complaints or were not carrying out detailed investigations.