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What to do first when your flight is delayed
- Confirm what changed. Check the airline app, texts, email, and airport departure screens. Verify whether the flight is delayed, cancelled, or materially changed, and whether the airline has already issued a new itinerary.
- Contact the airline through more than one channel. Use the app, call the airline, or speak with an airport agent. Ask for the next available rebooking and whether it is available without an added fare. You can ask about partner airlines or alternate routes, but the DOT materials cited here do not establish that an airline must offer them.
- Choose between continuing and seeking a refund. Before accepting a rebooked itinerary or voucher, consider whether you still want to travel. Under DOT’s refund rules, accepting the rebooked flight or continuing with a significantly changed itinerary means you are not entitled to a refund under that rule.
- If the delay means an overnight stay, ask about a hotel and transport. Ask the airline whether it will provide a hotel, a hotel voucher, and transportation to and from the hotel. Check the carrier’s current commitment and policy before paying out of pocket.
- Keep records. Save the original itinerary, disruption notices, chat transcripts, receipts, and any rebooking or voucher offer. If you pay for meals or lodging yourself, ask the airline how to submit receipts and confirm its reimbursement policy; reimbursement is not guaranteed by the information here.
Can I get a refund if my flight is delayed?
For flights to, from, or within the United States, DOT rules may entitle you to a refund if the airline cancels your flight or makes a significant change and you do not travel on the offered alternative. The key is not simply how long you wait: for a significantly changed itinerary, you generally need to decline the changed or rebooked travel and any alternative compensation offered instead of a refund. DOT’s passenger explainer describes the thresholds and conditions in its refund and cancellation guidance.
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When a schedule change counts as significant
DOT defines a significant change using the revised itinerary’s scheduled departure or arrival compared with the original schedule. A domestic flight may qualify if it departs at least three hours earlier or arrives at least three hours later. For an international flight, the threshold is at least six hours earlier for departure or later for arrival. A change may also be significant if the origin or destination airport changes, the number of connections increases, you are downgraded, or changed connections or aircraft make the trip less accessible or accommodating for a passenger with a disability.
Those thresholds do not mean every three- or six-hour delay automatically produces a refund. If you accept the revised itinerary and continue traveling, the refund rule described above does not entitle you to a refund for that changed trip.
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How and when a qualifying refund is paid
When a refund is due, DOT says it must be automatic and prompt: within seven business days if you paid by credit card, 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 transportation already used, including applicable government taxes and fees and airline-imposed fees. If you choose a voucher or credit instead of a refund, DOT says it must be valid for at least five years.
How do I get rebooked after a flight delay?
Ask the airline directly for its next available option and whether it can rebook you without charging an additional fare. If the airline has already sent a new itinerary, compare it with your original booking: check the arrival time, airports, connections, and any accessibility needs. If you would rather not take the changed trip, make that clear before accepting a rebooking or voucher and check whether the change qualifies for a refund under DOT’s rules.
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Ask whether alternate routes or partner-airline options are available, but do not assume the airline is required to provide a particular route. Rebooking practices and commitments can vary by airline and by the circumstances of the disruption.
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There is no automatic hotel entitlement for every delay. Airlines’ service commitments may depend on whether the disruption was within the carrier’s control, and airlines generally determine whether a particular disruption was airline-caused. Ask the airline for the stated reason and check its current policy before making plans or expenses.
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DOT’s December 2024 announcement said the ten largest U.S. airlines had committed to free rebooking and meals for airline-caused disruptions, and nine had committed to lodging and related transportation. That is a dated description of commitments, not a guarantee covering every airline, disruption, or current policy. DOT also described a broader federal requirement for these services as a proposal under consideration at that time, not a final universal rule. The announcement is available at DOT’s December 2024 notice.
Check the specific airline’s hotel-transport commitment
DOT’s hotel ground-transportation dashboard lists Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, and United as offering complimentary transport to and from a hotel for passengers affected by an overnight delay; Frontier is listed as not offering that commitment. These are carrier-specific commitments, not blanket guarantees for every cause of delay. Because dashboard entries and airline policies can change, check your carrier’s live entry and current policy before incurring costs. See the DOT Airline Customer Service Dashboard.
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If you have to pay up front
Ask whether the airline can issue a hotel or meal voucher before you book or buy anything. If you pay yourself, keep itemized receipts and ask the airline how to submit them. Confirm which expenses, if any, its policy covers rather than assuming reimbursement is available.
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Refunds, rebooking, and hotel help are different decisions
| Your situation | What to ask or consider |
|---|---|
| You still want to make the trip | Ask for the next available rebooking and whether it is available without an added fare; check whether a voucher or other assistance is offered. |
| You do not want the changed trip | Check whether the cancellation or itinerary change qualifies for a DOT refund, then decline the changed travel and any alternative compensation offered instead of a refund. |
| The disruption may be airline-caused | Ask the airline to identify the cause and check its current commitments for rebooking, meals, lodging, and related transport. |
| The disruption is overnight | Ask specifically about a hotel and transport to and from it; verify the carrier’s current written commitment before paying. |
| You are considering a voucher | Compare it with a refund if you may qualify. Accepting a rebooked trip or continuing with the changed itinerary means you are not entitled to a refund under the DOT rule described above. |
Does a delayed flight mean cash compensation?
Do not confuse a ticket refund with additional cash compensation. The DOT materials cited here establish refund rules for cancellations and significant changes when a passenger does not take the alternative travel; they do not establish automatic cash compensation for every delay. DOT’s December 2024 notice discussed possible compensation as part of a proposed rulemaking, not as amounts passengers were then owed under a universal final rule.
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- EXPANDABLE: Increase packing space up to 15% for added flexibility and organization
- ORGANIZED INTERIOR: Keep essentials organized with an interior divider and three zippered pockets
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
