If your flight is delayed, check the airline’s latest itinerary and contact the airline to ask about rebooking, the cause of the disruption, and any meal or overnight-hotel help. If you do not want to travel on a cancelled or significantly changed itinerary, you may be entitled to a refund under U.S. Department of Transportation rules—but accepting the replacement flight generally means giving up that refund option.
What to do first when your flight is delayed
- Confirm what changed. Check the airline app, text alerts, email, and airport departure screens. Determine whether the flight is delayed, cancelled, or has a changed itinerary, and whether the airline has already issued a new itinerary.
- Contact the airline through more than one channel. Try the app, an airport agent, or the phone line. Ask for the next available rebooking and whether it can be made without an added fare. You can ask about partner airlines or alternate routes, but the sources cited here do not establish a general requirement that an airline offer them.
- Choose whether to continue or seek a refund. Before accepting a rebooked itinerary or voucher, decide whether you still want to make the trip. Under DOT’s refund rules, accepting the rebooked flight or continuing on a significantly changed itinerary means you are not entitled to a refund under that rule.
- Ask about overnight arrangements. If the disruption leaves you overnight, ask whether the airline will provide a hotel and transportation to and from it. If you pay expenses yourself, keep itemized receipts and ask how to submit them; reimbursement depends on the airline’s policy and the circumstances.
- Save the records. Keep the original itinerary, disruption notices, messages or chat transcripts, receipts, and any rebooking or voucher offer. These can help explain your request, though DOT’s cited materials do not prescribe one evidence packet for every airline claim.
Can I get a refund if my flight is delayed?
For travel on flights to, from, or within the United States, DOT says a passenger may qualify for a refund if the airline cancels the flight and the passenger does not take the offered rebooking or alternative compensation. A refund may also be due when the itinerary is significantly changed and the passenger declines the changed or rebooked itinerary and any alternative compensation offered instead of a refund. See DOT’s refund explainer.
A delay by itself does not automatically mean you can take a replacement flight and also receive a refund. For the significant-change thresholds below, DOT compares the changed itinerary’s scheduled departure or arrival with the original schedule. The refund right described depends on declining the changed travel or alternative compensation.
Changes DOT treats as significant
- For a domestic flight, departure at least three hours earlier or arrival at least three hours later than scheduled.
- For an international flight, departure at least six hours earlier or arrival at least six hours later than scheduled.
- A change to the origin or destination airport.
- An increase in the number of connections.
- A downgrade to a lower class of service.
- Changed connections or aircraft that make the trip less accessible or accommodating for a passenger with a disability.
How and when a qualifying refund is paid
DOT says a due refund must be automatic and prompt: within seven business days for a credit-card purchase, or within 20 calendar days for another payment method. It must be returned to the original form of payment unless you affirmatively choose another form of compensation. The refund covers the ticket price minus any transportation already used, including applicable government taxes and fees and airline-imposed fees. An alternative travel voucher or credit offered instead must be valid for at least five years, under the same DOT explainer.
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How do I get rebooked after a flight delay?
Ask the airline for the next available option and whether it can rebook you without an added fare. Be ready to compare departure time, arrival time, connections, and airport: a proposed itinerary may get you moving sooner but arrive much later or use a different airport. If you want a refund instead, make that decision before accepting the replacement itinerary or other compensation, because accepting it can affect your refund eligibility.
Whether the disruption was within the airline’s control can matter for services such as meals or lodging. Ask the airline what caused the delay and what its current policy offers for your specific flight. DOT notes that airlines generally determine whether a particular disruption was airline-caused; a delay due to weather or another non-carrier cause may be treated differently under a carrier’s service commitments.
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Will the airline pay for a hotel, meals, or transportation?
There is no blanket hotel guarantee for every delayed U.S. flight. These services are distinct from a refund: DOT’s refund rule addresses when you can get your ticket money back, while meals, hotels, and related transportation generally depend on the airline’s commitments, the reason for the disruption, and its current policy.
DOT’s December 2024 announcement reported that the ten largest U.S. airlines had committed to free rebooking and meals for airline-caused disruptions, while nine had committed to lodging and related transportation. That announcement described proposed federal requirements as a proposal under consideration at the time, not a final universal rule. Check the DOT Airline Customer Service Dashboard and the airline’s current policy before relying on a benefit or paying for it yourself.
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Check the hotel transportation commitment for your carrier
On DOT’s hotel ground-transportation dashboard page, Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, and United are listed as offering complimentary ground transportation to and from a hotel for passengers affected by an overnight delay; Frontier is listed as not offering it. This is a carrier-specific commitment for overnight delays, not a guarantee for every airline or every cause of disruption. Dashboard entries and airline policies can change, so verify the live listing and your carrier’s terms before incurring costs.
If you have to pay out of pocket
- Ask whether the airline can issue a hotel or meal voucher before making a purchase.
- If you pay yourself, keep itemized receipts and the disruption details, then ask the airline how and where to submit a reimbursement request.
- Do not assume an expense will be reimbursed unless the airline’s current policy and the circumstances support it.
Refund, rebooking, or hotel help: which should you pursue?
| Your situation | Practical next step | Key consideration |
|---|---|---|
| You still want to travel and the airline offers a workable replacement | Ask about rebooking without an added fare and compare the new schedule and route. | Accepting the rebooked flight or continuing on a significantly changed itinerary means you are not entitled to a refund under DOT’s rule. |
| The airline cancelled your flight, or significantly changed the itinerary, and you do not want the replacement | Decline the rebooking and any alternative compensation offered instead of a refund, then request the eligible refund. | Refund eligibility depends on the circumstances and, for a significant change, on declining the changed travel or compensation. |
| The disruption requires an overnight stay | Ask about a hotel and transport, then verify the carrier’s live DOT dashboard entry and current policy. | Hotel and transport commitments are not universal; the reason for the disruption can matter. |
| You need meals or lodging before the airline provides an arrangement | Ask about a voucher first; if paying yourself, retain receipts and confirm the reimbursement process. | Payment for an out-of-pocket expense is not guaranteed simply because a delay occurred. |
Is cash compensation automatic for a delayed flight?
Do not confuse a ticket refund with cash compensation for inconvenience. The DOT’s December 2024 announcement discussed possible compensation levels as part of a proposed rulemaking; those proposed amounts should not be treated as compensation currently owed under the materials cited here. For your immediate options, rely on the refund rules and your airline’s current service commitments.
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