Denied boarding and stranded overnight. Why won't Air Canada cover my $178 hotel bill?

"When Lufthansa rebooked your flights, it should have ensured your ticket was valid on all segments including the Air Canada leg back to Cleveland. Under EU Regulation 261/2004, which governs your initial delayed flight from Stockholm, Lufthansa had a duty to reroute you and cover necessary expenses caused by its delay. Issuing a faulty boarding pass and leaving you stranded in Toronto is a clear breach of that obligation."

"You did almost everything right: You kept records and escalated your case to both carriers. Could you have done more? Maybe. First, booking a hotel yourself should have been your last resort. If you're stuck in a stopover city, you need to apply pressure to your airline to help you then and there. Don't book a hotel and then try to negotiate a refund, because airlines will always try to avoid paying."

Passengers rebooked after an EU-flight delay are entitled to rerouting and coverage of necessary expenses under EU Regulation 261/2004. A carrier that issues an invalid boarding pass and leaves a passenger stranded breaches that duty. Airlines must honor valid tickets and boarding passes under the Montreal Convention; ticketing errors require immediate cooperative resolution between carriers. Passengers should preserve records, escalate claims with both airlines, and avoid prepaying hotels unless absolutely necessary to increase reimbursement chances. Direct appeals to airline executives and filing complaints with the U.S. Department of Transportation can prompt resolution and accountability.

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