Your flight is canceled or delayed. Now what?
You probably feel like the airline owes you for your trouble, but before you ask for any compensation, you’ll want to ask two key questions: Why was the flight canceled or delayed? If it’s a delay, how long is it expected to last?
The answers will dictate what you’re owed.
Next, you’ll want to check the Department of Transportation’s Airline Customer Service Dashboard to find out what airlines have pledged to do for people affected by “controllable” cancellations or delays. Those are disruptions within a carrier’s control, like mechanical issues, staffing shortages, or cleaning and fueling delays.
Your rights are far more limited when the root problem is beyond the airline’s control, such as weather, ground stops, or recent flight-reduction mandates during the government shutdown.
What is the Cancellations and Delay Dashboard?
The DOT Cancellation and Delay Dashboard is a publicly available online tool that shows what various U.S. airlines have committed to provide to passengers when a flight is canceled or delayed for reasons within the airline’s control (e.g., staffing, maintenance, mechanical issues). The dashboard uses a simple green-check or red “X” format so travelers can compare, at a glance, which airlines guarantee services such as free rebooking, meal or hotel vouchers, ground transportation, or other accommodations in those situations.
The dashboard was launched on Sept. 1, 2022, in response to a summer of widespread flight disruptions and passenger complaints.
What am I owed if an airline cancels my flight?
DOT rules require airlines to offer you a refund if flights are canceled for any reason, regardless of ticket type, if you choose to no longer fly.
If you choose to continue your trip, you are entitled to penalty-free rebooking on the same airline.
Additionally, if the cancellation was within the carrier’s control:
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Some airlines (Alaska, American, Delta, JetBlue, United) can rebook you on a partner airline at no cost.
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Nearly all major airlines will offer a complimentary hotel stay and ground transportation to and from the hotel for overnight cancellations.
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All major airlines will offer a meal or credit toward a meal if you have to wait more than 3 hours for the next flight.
Additional details can be found on the DOT’s dashboard. Airlines not listed on the dashboard post their customer service commitments on their respective websites.
More travelers now have lounge access. Is that a good thing?
Am I owed compensation if my flight is delayed?
The answer depends on the circumstances and airline.
If the delay is outside the airline’s control, they don’t owe you anything extra.
If the delay is within airline control, but not considered a significant delay (typically at least three hours), then they still may not owe you anything.
The compensation kicks in for significant delays within the airline’s control and generally mirrors offerings for controllable cancellations. But it’s not cash compensation, which is not required by U.S. regulators. It generally takes the form of hotel, meal and transportation vouchers, or a refund if you choose not to fly.
One critical thing to remember is that even when you aren’t owed anything, airline customer service representatives may have the power to provide meal vouchers, mileage credit, or other compensation for your trouble, on a case-by-case basis, so it pays to be courteous and doesn’t hurt to ask.
Contributing: Zach Wichter, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Use this tool to find what you’re owed when your flight is delayed