Flight Delayed or Canceled? Your Refund and Compensation Rights in the US
In the US, a canceled flight usually means a cash refund if you don’t take the rebooking. A delay rarely means cash compensation. Here is what airlines owe you, what they promise voluntarily, and the exact words to use at the counter.
In the United States, if your flight is canceled or significantly changed and you choose not to accept the airline’s alternative, you are entitled to a full cash refund, including the ticket and any bag or seat fees, under federal rules in force since October 2024. A “significant change” includes a domestic departure or arrival shifted by three or more hours. For delays, US law does not require cash compensation, but most major airlines promise meals for long delays and hotels for overnight delays when the airline caused them. If you are bumped involuntarily, you are owed cash compensation.
Passenger rights in the US are more limited than in Europe, where EU law can require airlines to pay up to €600 for long delays. Many American travelers don’t know what they are owed, and airlines don’t always volunteer it. The good news is that the rules got much clearer in 2024, and the Department of Transportation publishes what each airline commits to. Here is what you can ask for, and how to get it.
- Cash refundFor cancellations you don’t rebook
- 3 hoursDomestic change that triggers refund rights
- BumpingThe one case with required US compensation
- €600Max EU compensation on covered flights
The automatic refund rule
A Department of Transportation rule that took effect on October 28, 2024, requires airlines to give prompt, automatic cash refunds when:
- Your flight is canceled, and you don’t accept rebooking or another alternative.
- Your flight is significantly changed and you decline the change. That includes a departure or arrival time change of three hours or more for domestic flights, or six hours or more for international flights; a change in departure or arrival airport; added connections; or a downgrade in class of service.
- Your checked bag is significantly delayed, more than 12 hours after a domestic flight arrives, and you filed a report. You get back the bag fee.
- You paid for an extra service, like Wi-Fi or seat selection, that you didn’t receive.
Refunds must go back to your original form of payment, not a travel credit, unless you choose a credit. Credit card refunds must be issued within seven business days; other payments within 20 calendar days. Airlines must refund the full ticket price, including taxes and fees.
The key phrase: “I decline the rebooking and request a refund.” If you accept a new flight, or use any part of the ticket, the right to a refund for that segment may disappear. Decide before you click accept in the app.
Delays: what airlines must and don’t have to do
US law does not require airlines to pay cash compensation for delays. A rule proposed in late 2024 that would have required compensation for long delays caused by airlines did not move forward in 2025. So, for now, what you get depends largely on each airline’s own commitments.
Most large US airlines have made public commitments, listed on the Department of Transportation’s Airline Customer Service Dashboard, for delays and cancellations caused by the airline, called controllable delays, such as mechanical problems or crew scheduling issues:
| Situation | Common airline commitment | Legally required? | What to ask for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Controllable delay of 3+ hours | Meal voucher | No, voluntary | “Can I get a meal voucher?” |
| Controllable overnight delay | Hotel and transport | No, voluntary | “Please provide a hotel voucher.” |
| Controllable cancellation | Free rebooking, often on partner airlines | Refund is required if you decline | “Can you book me on another airline?” |
| Weather or air traffic control delays | Free rebooking, usually no vouchers | Refund if canceled and you decline | “What are my rebooking options?” |
A few airlines go further, with travel credits or miles for long controllable delays. Check the dashboard and your airline’s customer service plan, which is published on its website.
Weather, air traffic control and security issues are generally considered outside the airline’s control. Airlines usually won’t provide meals or hotels in those cases, though they will rebook you for free.
Tarmac delays
US rules limit how long you can be stuck on a plane on the ground. For domestic flights, airlines generally must give passengers the chance to get off after three hours; for international flights, after four hours, with exceptions for safety, security or air traffic control instructions. After two hours, airlines must provide food and water. Working toilets and medical attention must be available throughout.
Getting bumped: required compensation
When a flight is oversold, airlines first ask for volunteers to give up their seats, usually offering travel credits or cash. You can negotiate. If not enough people volunteer and you are bumped involuntarily, federal rules require cash compensation based on your ticket price and how late you arrive:
- Arriving within an hour of your original time on domestic flights: no compensation required.
- One to two hours late on domestic flights: 200 percent of your one-way fare, up to a capped maximum.
- More than two hours late: 400 percent of your one-way fare, up to a higher cap.
The caps are adjusted for inflation periodically and currently exceed $1,000 and $2,000 respectively. You are entitled to cash or a check, not just vouchers, and you keep your original ticket’s value for use or refund. Ask for written information on your rights at the gate.
Baggage: delayed, damaged or lost
Report a delayed or damaged bag at the airport before you leave. Airlines must reimburse reasonable expenses caused by a delayed bag, like toiletries and clothes, and refund the bag fee if it’s significantly delayed. For lost bags, airlines are liable up to a federal limit on domestic flights, currently several thousand dollars per passenger, and under international treaty limits on international trips. Keep receipts. Don’t pack valuables, medications or electronics in checked bags.
Flying to or from Europe, the UK or Canada
Different rules can apply on international trips. Under EU Regulation 261, flights departing from an EU airport on any airline, or flying into the EU on an EU airline, can qualify for compensation of €250 to €600 for delays of three hours or more at arrival, cancellations with short notice or denied boarding, unless caused by extraordinary circumstances like weather. The UK has a similar rule. Canada has its own passenger protection regulations with compensation for some delays. If your trip touches these places, check whether you qualify and file a claim with the airline.
How to handle a cancellation in real time
- Open the airline’s app immediately. Rebooking options often appear there before the gate agent can help.
- Get in line at the service desk and call the airline at the same time. Whichever answers first wins.
- Look at other flights yourself, including other airports nearby and partner airlines, and ask for specific flights.
- If the airline caused the problem, ask politely for meal and hotel vouchers.
- If you no longer want to travel, decline rebooking and request a refund in writing.
- Keep receipts for meals, hotels and transport.
- Take screenshots of delay notices and messages.
Missed connections
If you booked a connecting itinerary on one ticket and your first flight is late, the airline is responsible for getting you to your final destination on a later flight at no extra cost. If you booked two separate tickets yourself, the second airline usually owes you nothing if you miss its flight. That is why one-ticket itineraries are safer, even if separate tickets look cheaper. Give yourself long connection times on separate tickets, ideally several hours, or travel with carry-on only.
Basic economy and budget airlines
The refund rules apply to all fare types, including basic economy, when the airline cancels or significantly changes your flight. But voluntary perks, like meal vouchers and hotel stays, vary more at low-cost airlines, and some offer fewer rebooking options because they don’t have partner airlines. Check each airline’s customer service plan before you book, especially for important trips like weddings, cruises or tours with fixed start dates. For trips you can’t miss, fly a day early.
Traveling with a disability
Airlines must provide assistance to passengers with disabilities during delays and cancellations, including help moving between gates and access to accommodations. If you rely on a wheelchair or other mobility device, the airline is responsible for it, and damage to it is handled under separate rules with higher protections. Ask for a Complaints Resolution Official, a staff member every airline must have available to handle disability issues, if problems come up.
Travel insurance and credit cards
Many premium credit cards include trip delay insurance, which can reimburse meals and hotels after delays of a certain length, often six or twelve hours, when you paid for the ticket with that card. Travel insurance policies may cover delays, missed connections and cancellations for covered reasons. Check your coverage before you travel. Our guide to travel insurance for domestic trips explains when it’s worth buying.
How to file a complaint
If an airline won’t give you what you’re owed, start with a written complaint to the airline through its website, with your confirmation number, flight details and receipts. Be clear and specific about what you want. If that doesn’t work, file a complaint with the US Department of Transportation through its online form. DOT forwards complaints to airlines, which must respond, and tracks patterns. For a refund you’re owed on a credit card purchase, you can also dispute the charge with your card issuer.
Common misconceptions
“US airlines must pay me for a long delay.” Not by law. Some offer voluntary credits or miles.
“A cancellation means I only get a travel credit.” No. If you decline the alternative, you’re owed a cash refund.
“Weather delays get hotel vouchers.” Usually not.
“I have to take the first rebooking offered.” You can ask for different options, including partner airlines.
How to lower your odds of a disrupted trip
You can’t control the weather, but you can make delays less likely and less painful. Book the first flight of the morning; early flights are less likely to be delayed, because planes and crews are already in place, and if they are canceled, you have the rest of the day to rebook. Choose nonstop flights when possible. Avoid tight connections, especially through hubs prone to winter storms or summer thunderstorms. Travel with carry-on only for important trips, so you can switch flights easily. Download your airline’s app and turn on notifications. And on peak travel days around holidays, build in a buffer day before anything you can’t miss.
A sample script for the counter
Agents deal with hundreds of frustrated passengers during big disruptions, and a calm, specific request gets results faster. Try something like this: “My flight was canceled. I see there’s a flight on your partner airline at 4:15 that still has seats. Could you rebook me on that one? Since the cancellation was due to a mechanical problem, could you also provide a meal voucher?” Or, if you no longer want to travel: “I’d like to decline the rebooking and request a full refund to my original card.” Be kind, be clear and know what you want before you reach the front.
Frequently asked questions
Am I entitled to a refund if my flight is canceled?
Yes, if you decline the airline’s rebooking or alternative, under US rules in effect since October 2024.
Do US airlines pay compensation for delays?
US law doesn’t require it. Many airlines offer meals and hotels for controllable delays, and a few offer credits or miles.
How much do airlines pay if you get bumped?
Up to 200 or 400 percent of your one-way fare, depending on the delay, with caps above $1,000 and $2,000.
What is a significant schedule change?
For domestic flights, a departure or arrival time change of three hours or more, among other changes.
Save this for your next trip
- Install your airline’s app and turn on flight notifications.
- Check your airline’s commitments on the DOT customer service dashboard.
- Book flights with a card that includes trip delay insurance.
- Remember the phrase: “I decline the rebooking and request a refund.”
Eric Gamble
Eric Gamble is the founder of Travon Inc. and editor-in-chief of Travon Blog, based in New Orleans. He plans every guide around the questions travelers actually ask before they book: when to go, what it really costs, how to get around and what is worth skipping. Eric oversees research, fact-checking and the regular updates that keep each guide accurate.
