What to do if your flight is delayed or canceled

What cash refund are you legally owed if your flight is canceled or significantly delayed?

Under the DOT's October 2024 final rule, airlines operating any US flight must automatically issue a full cash refund to your original payment method if your flight is canceled for any reason, or if it suffers a "significant" delay and you choose not to travel. Domestic flights qualify at 3 or more hours of delay; international flights at 6 or more hours. The airline cannot legally offer only a travel credit or voucher — it must proactively offer cash first. Refunds must be processed within 7 business days to a credit or debit card, or 20 calendar days for cash or check payments.

Note: in September 2025 the Trump administration formally withdrew a separate proposed rule that would have required airlines to pay additional cash compensation for delay inconvenience; that proposal was never enacted, but the automatic refund right for cancellations and significant delays remains fully in force.

• Flight canceled for any reason (including weather): full cash refund if you decline to rebook
• Domestic delay 3+ hours and you choose not to travel: full cash refund
• International delay 6+ hours and you choose not to travel: full cash refund
• Paid seat upgrade, Wi-Fi, or in-flight service not delivered: refund of that specific fee — see airline baggage fees compared for common ancillary charges
• Bag fee charged but bag delayed 12+ hours domestic or 30+ hours international: bag fee refunded
• Airlines cannot offer vouchers only — cash must be the first option presented

What will the airline provide at the airport for a controllable delay?

A "controllable" delay is one caused by the airline itself — mechanical problems, crew scheduling issues, or a late inbound aircraft — not weather or air traffic control. The DOT's Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard (transportation.gov/airconsumer) tracks binding commitments each major US carrier has made to passengers. As of 2026, all 10 major US airlines listed on the dashboard commit to free rebooking on the same airline, meal vouchers of at least $12 for controllable delays of 3 or more hours, complimentary hotel accommodation for controllable overnight delays, and ground transportation to and from the hotel. The DOT enforces these commitments; if an airline fails to honor its stated promise, file a complaint at aviation.consumer.gov.

• Meal voucher ($12+): all 10 major US carriers for controllable delays of 3+ hours
• Hotel accommodation: all 10 major carriers for overnight controllable delays
• Ground transport to/from hotel: all 10 major carriers
• Free rebooking on same airline: all 10 major carriers
• Free rebooking on partner or alliance airline: Delta, United, American, Alaska commit yes; Southwest, Frontier, Allegiant typically do not
• Budget carriers (Frontier, Allegiant) offer the fewest amenities — confirm at the gate what is available

How do you rebook your flight as fast as possible?

When a cancellation or major delay hits, seats on alternate flights fill within minutes. The airline app is almost always faster than calling — most carriers push a one-tap rebook prompt to your phone the moment a disruption is declared. If the app shows no viable options, bypass the main customer service queue (waits can exceed 90 minutes) and head to the gate agent or use the airline's dedicated elite/rebooking line. For OTA bookings (Expedia, Google Flights, etc.) you must call the airline directly — the OTA cannot access partner airline inventory or issue boarding passes on another carrier. Check each carrier's check-in and rebooking policies in our airline check-in guides.

• Step 1: Open the airline app immediately — look for a disruption banner with a rebook or "explore options" button
• Step 2: Accept the rebook offer or choose a different routing, including connections through alternate hubs
• Step 3: If nothing works in the app, ask a gate agent to rebook you on a Star Alliance, oneworld, or SkyTeam partner (Delta, United, and American honor this for controllable delays)
• Step 4: Same-day standby on an earlier flight is free on most major US carriers — ask even if the flight shows full
• Step 5:If you booked through an OTA, call the airline directly — the OTA cannot rebook you onto another carrier's metal

Does your credit card cover meals and hotels during a flight delay?

Several premium travel credit cards include trip delay reimbursement that pays for meals, hotel, toiletries, and transport when your delay reaches a threshold — regardless of whether the cause is the airline's fault. Weather delays fully count for card benefits. You must have purchased at least a portion of your ticket with the card (booking with points on the same card also qualifies for Chase and Amex). Keep every receipt; card issuers require itemized documentation. The Citi Prestige, once a leading option, removed its trip delay protection in 2019 and has not accepted new applications since 2021 — do not rely on it.

Are airlines off the hook for weather delays — and what should you still ask for?

Weather, natural disasters, and air-traffic control ground stops are classified as "non-controllable" events. Airlines have no legal obligation under the DOT dashboard commitments to provide meal vouchers, hotel rooms, or ground transport for these delays. However, your right to a full cash refund still applies for any canceled flight — even a weather cancellation — if you choose not to travel. And your credit card trip delay benefit kicks in for weather regardless of airline fault. Many airlines also voluntarily issue accommodation help for long weather holds, especially overnight disruptions — it is always worth asking politely at the gate.

If you need to understand how airlines manage connecting passengers during delays, our check-in and bag drop cutoff times guide explains the minimum connection windows carriers enforce and when they rebook automatically.

• Always ask the gate agent for a meal or hotel voucher — many carriers issue them for weather as a goodwill gesture
• Ask if the delay has been reclassified: a crew timing out because of an earlier weather event may make the second delay "controllable"
• Your credit card trip delay benefit does cover weather — cause is irrelevant to card reimbursement
• If stranded overnight, ask about any hotel room blocks the airline holds — these are often available even for weather holds
• If the airline cancels your weather-delayed flight entirely and you opt not to rebook, demand a full cash refund — that right is unconditional

Does EU261 compensation apply to your US flight?

EU Regulation 261/2004 (EC261) provides strong cash compensation — €250 to €600 per passenger — for cancellations, denied boarding, and arrival delays of 3 or more hours. It is powerful but geographically specific: it covers any flight departing from an EU airport regardless of carrier, and flights arriving into the EU operated by a European carrier. A United or American flight from New York to Paris does not qualify. An Air France or Lufthansa flight from New York to Paris does qualify — because it departs from the EU on its return leg. The United Kingdom now operates an equivalent UK261 scheme. US domestic flights are never covered.

• Covered: any flight departing FROM an EU member state airport, on any airline
• Covered: a flight arriving INTO the EU on a European carrier (e.g., Lufthansa JFK to FRA)
• Covered: flights from the UK under the parallel UK261 scheme
• NOT covered: US carriers' transatlantic flights departing from the US (Delta JFK→CDG does not qualify)
• NOT covered: any US domestic flight
• Compensation tiers: €250 (routes under 1,500 km), €400 (1,500–3,500 km), €600 (over 3,500 km) for 3+ hour arrival delay or cancellation

Data verified June 29, 2026. Sources: DOT Automatic Refund Final Rule (Oct 2024); DOT Airline Cancellation & Delay Dashboard; DOT withdrawal of delay-compensation proposed rule (Sept 2025); Chase Sapphire Reserve trip delay; Amex Platinum trip delay; Citi Prestige benefit removal; DOT Fly Rights.