Flight Delay and Cancellation Compensation: What to Know

Flight delays and cancellations are frustrating, and until recently, it could be an arduous process to receive compensation or a cash refund for travel disruptions. But a federal rule enacted in 2024 makes it easier.

Here’s what to know about flight delay and cancellation compensation.

If your flight is canceled or "significantly changed," you’ll have the option to either rebook through the airline or receive a refund. To qualify for a cash refund, you must decline any alternative transportation or travel credits offered by the airline, such as rebooking on another flight. This applies to all passengers, including those traveling on a nonrefundable ticket. Depending on the airline, you might receive cash or travel credits even if you do accept the rebooking (more on that in the next section).

You’ll qualify for a cash refund for your airfare and ancillary service fees under the following conditions:

• Your flight is canceled or significantly changed: Significant changes include: 

  • Departure or arrival times that are more than three hours domestically and six hours internationally; 

  • Airport changes, including connection changes to a different airport; 

  • An increase in the number of connections; 

  • Downgrades to a lower class of service, for example from business class to coach; 

  • Aircraft changes that are less accessible or accommodating to a disabled person. 

• You have significantly delayed baggage: Checked bag fees will be reimbursed if a bag is not delivered within 12 hours of a domestic flight arriving at the gate, or 15 to 30 hours of an international flight arriving at the gate (depending on the length of the flight). The passenger must also file a mishandled baggage report with the airline.

• You paid for extra services not provided: Fees for extra services — such as Wi-Fi, seat selection or inflight entertainment — will be reimbursed if the airline fails to provide the service.

Cash refunds must be “automatic and prompt” and no longer need to be explicitly requested. Refunds must be processed by the airline within seven days for credit card purchases and 20 days for other payment methods (such as award travel with airline miles). Airlines can also no longer substitute vouchers, travel credit or other forms of compensation unless explicitly approved by the passenger.

Airlines are committed to rebooking passengers at no additional cost if they experience a controllable change or cancellation. It is up to the passenger to either accept that rebooking or receive a refund.

However, it is up to the discretion of each airline to provide additional amenities or compensation, such as meals and hotel accommodations, to those who rebook. These conditions are made public by every airline in their customer service plan and summarized on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s website. ^[0]

Every airline except Frontier is committed to covering hotel accommodations (and transportation to that hotel) for any passenger affected by a controllable overnight cancellation. Additionally, Alaska, Hawaiian, JetBlue and Southwest provide a credit or travel voucher when a cancellation results in a passenger waiting for three hours or more from the scheduled departure time (the amount of additional compensation will depend on the airline).

A summary of select commitments from each major airline is shown below.

» Learn more: How much is travel insurance?

To determine if you’re due additional compensation for a delay or cancellation beyond rebooking, you’ll need to figure out the reason for the trip interruption. The DOT considers four main types of delays as controllable, including maintenance delays, crew scheduling problems, fuel or baggage loading issues and cabin cleaning delays.

Some airlines do an excellent job of communicating the reason for a trip interruption. United Airlines spells out the reason for a delay at the top of your flight details in the United app. If you're flying on another airline, you may need to use a service like ExpertFlyer to see the official reason listed for the flight delay or cancellation. You can also ask a flight attendant or gate agent the reason for the interruption, but having physical documentation, such as a screenshot, can be beneficial if you believe you’re due additional compensation for a trip interruption.

» Learn more: How to avoid flight delays

Some reasons for flight delays or cancellations are considered out of the airline's control. For example, airlines generally aren't going to provide compensation for meals or overnight accommodations if inclement weather causes the cancellation of your flight. Other forms of “uncontrollable” delays and cancellations include air traffic delays, safety- or security-related events and infrastructure or utility problems.

Some airlines specifically list other delay reasons that are considered outside the airline's control, such as "passenger illness" (Alaska Airlines), "Federal Aviation Administration-required crew duty limitations" (Southwest Airlines) and "acts of God" (JetBlue Airways). Beware that different airlines may interpret the same situation differently. You can find out the exact terms in the airline's customer service plan or contract of carriage.

» Learn more: How to book a flight that (likely) won’t get canceled

If you're on a flight that was canceled due to weather or another reason outside the airline's control, your credit card perks may save the day. Several travel-related credit cards provide trip delay insurance that covers these types of delays. Just make sure to keep your receipts and note that your credit card's benefits administrator may request a statement from the airline explaining the reason for the delay.

Alternatively, you might want to take out a travel insurance policy that will cover you in the case of a wide variety of delays — such as bad weather, airline maintenance or personal medical issues. Some travel insurance policies will even let you cancel a trip for any reason, meaning you're covered no matter why your flight was delayed or canceled.

» Learn more: A credit card can rescue your trip from stormy weather