Here's what to do if an airline cancels your flight
Stuck at the airport after your flight has unceremoniously been canceled? Many travelers found themselves in just such a predicament when Delta and other U.S. airlines scratched thousands of flights following an epic computer fail caused by a faulty software update.
The ensuing outage threw airlines into chaos, leaving passengers scrambling to get to their intended destinations over the busiest travel weekend of the year. Airlines have tried to make amends by offering compensation in the form of vouchers, with extra points or "miles" that are redeemable for travel.
While that may appease some weary passengers, it pays for travelers to know their rights and have a game plan if their trip falls apart. Here's what to know — and what what to do — if your flight is canceled.
Can I get a refund?
Federal regulations entitle airline passengers to prompt refunds carriers cancel flights. Generally, whenever an airline in the U.S. scratches a flight, passengers are owed refunds. Notably, however, they do not have to accept a travel credit or a ticket on another flight.
"A consumer is entitled to a refund if the airline canceled a flight, regardless of the reason, and the consumer chooses not to travel," the U.S. Department of Transportation states on its website.
This rule applies equally to all fare types, including non-refundable tickets. It also covers add-ons like checked bag fees and paid seat upgrades.
Airlines must also offer customer refunds if there are "significant" flight delays or schedule changes. That said, the Transportation Department is the final arbiter of whether you're entitled to a refund and makes decisions on a case by case basis based on the length of a flight, the nature of a delay and other factors.
New federal rules that take effect in October eliminate any ambiguity about what constitutes a "significantly changed" flight: a delay of at least three hours for a domestic flight and at least six hours for an international flight.
How long should it take to get a refund?
Airlines must refund passengers "promptly" after a flight is canceled or significantly delayed, according to the Transportation Department. The agency defines "prompt" as meaning within seven business days if a ticket was purchased using a credit card, and within 20 days if a customer used cash or a check.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg reinforced this point on Sunday, saying in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) aimed at Delta Air Lines, the carrier that was hardest hit by the CrowdStrike outage. Airlines "must provide prompt refunds to consumers who choose not to take rebooking, free rebooking for those who do, and timely reimbursements for food and hotel stays to consumers affected by these delays and cancellations, as well as adequate customer service assistance," Buttigieg said.
What about incidentals?
Airlines are not obligated to reimburse customers for incidental expenses they might incur when a flight is canceled, such as rental car, hotel and meal costs, according to federal rules.
Yet airlines have discretion to cover such costs. Delta has said it will cover eligible expenses for travelers related to its flight disruptions through meal vouchers, hotel accommodations and ground transportation. The airline will also reimburse customers for eligible expenses that can include hotel, meal and ground transportation costs.
Delta draws the line at picking up the tab for a traveler's vacation that may have been ruined by a canceled or delayed flight. *Delta does not reimburse prepaid expenses, including but not limited to hotel reservations at the customer's destination, vacation experiences, lost wages, concerts or other tickets," the airline said in a statement.
What if I checked a bag?
You'll be refunded any checked bag fees as well as compensated for reasonable expenses incurred when your bags don't get from Point A to Point B.
Under Transportation Department regulations, if a bag is delayed airlines are required to reimburse customers for "reasonable, verifiable and actual incidental expenses. Carriers also may not set limits on daily expenditures, such as $50, for each day a bag is delayed.
But tracking down your luggage can present a whole other challenge. At Delta, customers can file lost baggage claims in person at a local baggage service office, on the airline's website or over the phone.
Because airlines handle such large volumes of luggage, it can be hard for them to pinpoint your bag's precise location. Travel experts suggest placing an Apple AirTag or similar device in your checked bags to keep track of it yourself and provide its location to airline agents for faster recovery.
Travel and rebooking tips
There are other actions passengers can take to make to make their travel experiences as smooth as possible, even in the event of flight delays and cancelations:
- When possible, book the first departing flight of the day, which experts say generally raises the odds of taking off on-time.
- Download the airline's app for faster rebooking.
- Only bring a carry-on to avoid checking luggage, which can mean waiting in long bag drop lines at airports.
- Do some research and book a flight with airlines that typically have fewer cancellations (see the Transportation Department for on-time and other airline performance data.)