Surprise Route Alterations and Added Stopovers

You paid a premium for the convenience of a fast, 2-hour direct flight. One month before departure, an email arrives detailing a highly euphemistic "Itinerary Adjustment": The flight now includes a long, exhausting layover.

Is it considered a Delay or a Cancellation?

Legally, such a drastic modification to the fundamental routing constitutes a Cancellation of the Original Direct Flight according to established European Union jurisprudence.

The 14-Day Boundary Line

• If notified MORE than 14 days in advance: The airline fully complies with the notification law. You cannot claim punitive cash compensation (only the right to a full ticket refund if you despise the new schedule).
• If notified LESS than 14 days in advance: Besides the right to a refund or re-routing, the airline MUST automatically pay the standard compensation (€250-€600) unless they can definitively prove inescapable Force Majeure.