Flight Delayed or Canceled? Here's What Your Airline Owes You

Heading into the hectic winter travel season, flight delays and cancellations become top of mind for airline passengers. It seems every year, some combination of inclement weather, airline IT issues, staffing problems, or other unforeseen complications cause cascading cancellations and severe delays right in time for the holidays.

One easy step that all travelers can take in order to be as prepared as possible during nightmarish travel scenarios such as these is to familiarize yourself with passenger compensation rights in the US. (Which are different than those in Canada and Europe.)

The Department of Transportation enacted new laws in October 2024 that require any airline flying to, from, or within the US to give automatic refunds if passengers’ flights are canceled or significantly changed for any reason. Importantly, the new federal rules specifically define what constitutes a “significant change” to a flight schedule, so both passengers and airlines know what types of delays qualify for refunds.

Here's how the rules work: Passengers will receive automatic cash refunds to the original form of payment for any unused portion of their ticket if their flight is canceled or significantly changed for any reason. To get the refund, the passenger must refuse the changed flight schedule, reject the option to rebook on an alternate flight, and turn down alternate forms of compensation like airline vouchers. The refund also encompasses any fees paid for services like seat selection or Wi-Fi that the passenger didn’t receive, as well as checked bags that are delayed.

While the new rules are a huge win for US consumers’ rights, many travelers aren’t aware of the new laws or how to advocate for themselves when an airline doesn’t seem to be abiding by them. And that can be a major issue, because in addition to being stranded in the terminal and missing precious vacation time, you could also be leaving money on the table—money that’s legally owed to you.

It’s important to note that these federal refund rules remain in effect, even as the DOT has been rolling back other consumer-friendly proposals recently. In November 2025, the Trump administration’s DOT nixed a proposed rule that, if enacted, would have offered cash compensation to travelers for delayed flights and enshrined certain policies like offering hotels and meals to passengers when delays stretch past a certain number of hours. That nixed proposal is completely separate to the refund rules for significant changes, cancellations, and unfulfilled ancillary services.

Below, we break down the federal rules on flight delay and cancellation compensation, including when you’re owed a refund, the proper protocols airlines should follow, and tips on solving common problems that might arise. We've also included each airline's policy on how they will support passengers during cancellations and lengthy delays. Because flights are expensive and stressful enough without paying extra for being delayed or canceled.

This article has been updated with new information since its original publish date.

Under the new rules, passengers are entitled to automatic refunds for flights that are canceled, significantly delayed, or experience a “significant change” for any reason—including “uncontrollable” factors such as weather. This applies only if alternative transportation or travel vouchers aren't available or are rejected by the passenger. That’s the key condition. If an airline is able to book you on another flight—on the same day or even the next—and you accept it, then the new rules don’t apply. But if you refuse the rebooking, then you are entitled to the automatic refund.

Additionally, the new rule defines what the DOT considers a “significant change” for the first time. Adjustments to a flight itinerary that meet any of the following criteria will be considered significantly changed—and therefore, entitled to a full refund:

• Changes to departure or arrival times that are more than 3 hours domestically and 6 hours internationally
• Departures or arrivals from a different airport
• Increases in the number of connections
• Instances where passengers are downgraded to a lower class of service
• Connections at different airports or flights on different planes that are less accessible or accommodating to a person with a disability

This is a major change—and a big deal for passenger rights—because previously, the government left it up to the airlines to choose for themselves what they considered a long enough delay to warrant a refund. (Meaning, they weren’t given often.)

In another win for travelers, the DOT has spelled out how refunds must be issued. The refunds must be automatically issued “without passengers having to explicitly request them or jump through hoops.” They must also be prompt, given within seven business days for credit card purchases and 20 calendar days for other methods of payment. The refunds must equal the full amount a customer paid, including taxes and fees, minus any used portion of the ticket.

But it’s not just flight disruptions that are eligible for refunds under the new rules. It applies to baggage delays, too. Fliers who file a mishandled baggage report with the airline and whose delayed luggage isn’t delivered to them within 12 hours of their domestic flight or 15 to 30 hours of their international flight (depending on the flight’s length) can receive a full refund of their baggage fee. And those fees can add up—as travelers are well aware—especially in light of recent widespread checked bag fee increases. To file a mishandled baggage report, go to your airline's baggage service office at the airport (typically right next to the baggage claim area) and request a "Property Irregularity Report" (PIR) with a reference number that you can then use to fill out the mishandled baggage report on the airline's website.

Passengers are also now entitled to automatic refunds for in-flight services they paid for but the airline failed to provide. These charges include services like seat selection, in-flight Wi-Fi, and in-flight entertainment purchases. If you pay for one of these add-ons and it’s not provided (for example, if the Wi-Fi doesn’t work, or you don't get the seat you paid for) you will be refunded for those services.

The new regulations also lay out a framework for travelers to be protected if they can’t travel due to “a serious communicable disease” such as COVID-19. If a country or medical professional advises passengers not to travel to, from, or within the US for this reason, airline customers will be entitled to be issued a travel voucher or airline credit that’s valid for at least five years. Unlike the above refund scenarios, airlines may require passengers to submit additional documentation, such as a doctor's note, in order to receive this compensation.

These protections are designed to prevent issues that arose during the pandemic from repeating themselves. In 2020, many passengers whose flights were canceled due to travel restrictions struggled to get a cash refund from their airline. Airlines were later collectively fined $7.5 million by the DOT for delaying the refunds and forced to issue $600 million back to customers.

However, the new protections for sick travelers apply even if the US government has not declared a public health emergency, as long as a licensed treating medical professional has advised you not to travel because you have contracted (or likely to have contracted) “a serious communicable disease and would pose a direct threat to the health of others,” per the final rule.

Even though all the rules above have been clearly communicated to airlines, that doesn’t mean they will always be perfectly followed. In fact, airlines are regularly fined by the DOT for violating various federal rules, so travelers should be ready to advocate for themselves when these situations arise.

Airlines must issue notifications to fliers who are affected by delays and cancellations that state their right to a refund of their ticket price and extra service fees. However, one hurdle that passengers could run into is the airline trying to persuade you to take another form of compensation, like a voucher. "Be aware that even if the airlines may offer you a voucher or air miles, you are entitled to your money back,” says Eric Napoli, chief legal officer at AirHelp, which assists passengers with airline refunds and compensation, tells Condé Nast Traveler. “Always request cash compensation. We recommend passengers avoid accepting vouchers unless they are satisfied they are getting a fair deal.”

In most situations, airlines offer flight vouchers that are equal to the unused portion of your airfare, so the better deal is usually to opt for the cash refund. “If they decide not to take the flight, they don’t have to settle for a mere voucher that can go towards a future flight on the same airline but can get their money back,” Napoli says.

Be sure to document everything, too, as certain information could come in handy later. “Even when passenger protections are in place, it’s still important to gather evidence to support your claim for a refund or compensation depending on the circumstance,” Napoli says. “Keep hold of any SMS messages, emails, or notifications sent by the airline. Hold on to your boarding pass and any boarding passes for alternative flights. Take photos of any flyers or flight information boards showing your itinerary charge or disruption. Make a note of the time you arrive at your final destination. Keep receipts of everything you had to buy. Request that the airline tells you the cause of the disruption.” All of this evidence will be helpful if you need to follow up with the airline’s customer service department or file a complaint with the DOT.

Another challenging issue that fliers might face with the new rules? Receiving refunds for any onboard services they paid for ahead of time but didn’t get to use due to the delay or cancellation. Although airlines must refund these payments, it’s a bit more of a gray area than the cost of the unused ticket, which is usually clear to customer service agents. “If passengers have paid for additional services that were not provided during their flight, they should contact the airline directly to request a refund for those specific services,” Napoli says. Again, it’s beneficial to be ready with receipts that can help you politely—but persistently—spell out the total cost of your delay or cancellation, extra fees included.

If travelers believe their airline is not following the new refund rules, they should file a consumer complaint with the DOT. These complaints help the DOT hold airlines accountable with fines and other punishments, so they do amount to more than just screaming into the void—although depending on the severity of your flight delay, that could be cathartic, too.

In contrast to the refund rules, which are federal regulations, airlines aren’t technically required to provide any extra compensation or support to passengers in the event of a significant delay or cancellation.

There was a rule proposed by the Biden Administration DOT in 2024 that would have required airlines to pay passengers between $200 and $775 in extra monetary compensation for flight disruptions within their control, and require them to provide extra support like hotel stays and meal vouchers for certain delays. That proposal, however, was officially thrown out by the Trump administration’s DOT in November 2025.

Although no US carriers offer cash compensation when a delay or cancellation is within their control, most airlines do (voluntarily) offer support in terms of meals, hotel stays, ground transportation to and from the airport, and more. Several US airlines do offer some additional form of non-cash compensation to passengers with significant delays, such as frequent flier miles or flight vouchers.

The DOT manages a consumer dashboard that compares what all US airlines offer delayed passengers side by side. Passengers can also check their airline’s customer service plan, which can be found online and outlines policies for handling delays and cancellations.

These policies are completely enforceable, so they’re important to know. “Airlines are required to adhere to the promises that they make in their customer service plan, including commitments to care for customers in the event of controllable delays or cancellations,” says the DOT's page on delays and cancellations. “The Department will hold airlines accountable if they fail to do so.”

Here’s a look at what type of support the largest US carriers offer passengers with delayed or canceled flights that occur for reasons within the airline's control, according to the DOT dashboard and the airlines themselves.

Seattle-based carrier Alaska Airlines offers travelers numerous benefits during long flight delays. The airline will rebook passengers facing significant delays on another Alaska flight or a flight with another airline with which it has an agreement or partnership. Passengers with overnight delays are provided free hotel accommodation and ground transportation to and from the airport, while travelers who have a delay of three hours or more are compensated with either frequent flier points (2,000 Atmos Rewards points) or a travel voucher (at least $50) toward a future flight.

Allegiant offers passengers with overnight delays free hotel stays with free ground transport. Fliers will also receive a meal or meal voucher for delays stretching three hours or longer. All significantly delayed fliers can be rebooked on another Allegiant flight at no extra cost.

Fliers with delayed American Airlines flights receive meal vouchers when the delay stretches for three hours or more. For overnight delays, the airline offers complimentary hotel accommodations with free ground transportation to and from the airport. The carrier will also rebook significantly delayed passengers on a different American flight or a flight with one of its partner carriers at no extra cost.

Delta passengers receive complimentary hotel stays and ground transportation for overnight delays, as well as meal vouchers for delays stretching over three hours. The carrier often brings its “care while waiting” carts to gates experiencing delays to hand out free snacks and water bottles to waiting passengers. During significant delays, the airline will rebook passengers for free on different Delta flights or flights with a different airline.

Delayed passengers on Frontier Airlines flights will be rebooked for free on another flight with the carrier during significant delays. The low-cost airline also provides a meal voucher for travelers when their delay is three hours or longer.

As Hawaiian recently merged with Alaska Airlines, the two carriers have similar delay accommodation policies. Like Alaska, Hawaiian Airlines offers travelers with flights delayed for at least three hours extra compensation in the form of frequent flier points (at least 2,000 Atmos Rewards points) or a voucher toward a future flight of at least $50. Meal vouchers are also distributed for delays of three-plus hours. Hotel stays and ground transportation are provided for overnight delays, and the carrier will rebook significantly delayed passengers on another Hawaiian flight or with a partner airline.

As far as delay support policies, JetBlue’s ranks among the most generous. The carrier will offer a travel voucher for delays of at least three hours. Plus, the airline will rebook fliers on another one of its flights or a partner carrier’s flights during a significant delay. Hotel stays and ground transport are available during overnight flights and meal vouchers are guaranteed to travelers in delays of at least three hours.

Budget carrier Southwest is also among the few airlines that offer some type of additional compensation to delayed travelers. The airline will offer travelers a voucher of at least $75 toward a future flight when they are stuck in a delay of at least three hours. Additionally, Southwest books complimentary hotels and ground transport for passengers with overnight delays and distributes meal vouchers for passengers waiting for three hours or more. Significantly delayed passengers can expect to be rebooked on another Southwest flight at no extra charge.

Customers of Spirit Airlines who are stuck overnight due to a delay will receive a complimentary hotel stay and free ground transportation to and from the airport. They can also expect to receive a meal voucher during three-hour-plus delays and to be rebooked on another Spirit flight for free during significant delays.

During significant delays, United will rebook passengers on another one of its flights or with a partner carrier for free. The airline also provides complimentary hotel accommodations and ground transportation to and from the airport in the event of a delay that stretches overnight. For delays of at least three hours, United also gives its passengers meal vouchers.