Who Pays the Hotel on a Codeshare Delay
Codeshare hotel pay is a common fork: the marketing carrier sold you the ticket, but the operating carrier is running the plane. Who provides the hotel when you are stuck overnight? Here is the EU261 Article 9 rule and the practical workflow.
Codeshare Hotel Pay: The Care Obligation
Codeshare hotel pay under EU261 is the operating carrier's obligation. Article 9 requires meals, refreshments, hotel (if overnight needed), ground transport between airport and hotel, and two phone calls from the airline that actually operated (or should have operated) the flight. The marketing carrier has no Article 9 obligation.
Operating carrier owes care, even if the ticket is on the marketing carrier. Ask at the operating carrier's service desk first.
Practical Workflow When Stranded
- 1
Find the operating carrier's service desk (look at your boarding pass: 'Operated by').
- 2
Request care: meal vouchers, hotel, ground transport.
- 3
If they offer hotel, accept and keep voucher copies.
- 4
If they refuse, ask for the refusal in writing, take a photo of the service desk, note names and times.
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Book a reasonable hotel on your card; keep the receipt.
- 6
Submit reimbursement claim to the operating carrier within 7 days.
- 7
Escalate to the national enforcement body if refund denied.
When the Marketing Carrier Might Help
Some marketing carriers provide goodwill hotel vouchers even when not legally obligated (Delta on SkyMiles elite status customers, for example). This is a courtesy, not a right. Do not refuse a voucher offered by the marketing carrier, but keep pursuing the statutory Article 9 claim against the operating carrier for cash-equivalent reimbursement. See codeshare upgrade rights: the unexpected rules for upgrade-related parallels.
What Counts as Reasonable Hotel
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Nearby airport hotel (within 10 miles / 30 minutes).
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Mid-range chain (Hilton Garden, Marriott Courtyard, Ibis-tier).
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Price reasonable for the market: $150 to $300 in major metros.
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Single occupancy unless traveling with family (then one room per family group).
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One night per delay trigger; not an open-ended free stay.
A $900 suite at the Ritz is NOT reasonable. Operating carriers are in their rights to deny that reimbursement. A $200 airport Hilton is. Use judgment.
US Flights: No Statutory Hotel Obligation
US DOT rules do NOT statutorily require airlines to provide hotels on delays. The 2024 automatic refund rule covers refunds but not care. US carriers' contracts of carriage sometimes promise hotel vouchers (Delta, Alaska, American, JetBlue all do); Southwest, Spirit, Frontier do not. See codeshare marketing carrier vs operating carrier legal definitions for the US-EU legal differences.
When Both Carriers Refuse
If operating and marketing carrier both refuse hotel: book a reasonable room, keep the receipt, and file reimbursement with the operating carrier citing Article 9. If they still refuse, escalate to the national enforcement body. See your ticket says one airline but you're flying another: rights for identifying responsible party in confusing cases.
Pillar Link and Authority Sources
See the full pillar at Codeshare Flight Rights: Which Airline Is Responsible. Primary sources: Regulation (EC) 261/2004 Article 9, DOT Aviation Consumer Protection, and UK CAA Consumer Advice.
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