Imagine this all-too-familiar situation: you've spent months hunting for the best airfare and perfect flight times, only to have the airline mess up your schedule, or even worse, cancel your flight on the day you're supposed to travel. When you contact the airline, you're forced to go through countless obstacles just to get your money back. Luckily, those frustrations should soon be over, thanks to new rules the Department of Transportation (DOT) put in place in October 2024. These rules give U.S. flyers better protections for delayed or canceled flights, delayed baggage, and other travel hiccups. Here's a summary of the new regulations…
Flight delays and cancellations: are you entitled to a refund?
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Easy refunds for late or canceled flights
The big news is that, for the first time, the DOT has established a clear definition of what counts as a "significant" flight change. Before, each airline could set its own rules, which confused passengers and limited refunds for delayed or canceled flights.
With the new rules, passengers can get a full refund if a domestic U.S. flight changes by 3 or more hours (or an international flight changes by 6 or more hours) for any reason – not just "controllable" issues like aircraft maintenance or crew availability. The same applies if a flight is canceled. However, if the airline offers alternate travel options that you accept, you won't get a refund. If you refuse to fly, you're entitled to a refund.
The new regulations also outline other significant changes. These include flights arriving or departing from a different airport, adding a layover to your itinerary, being moved to a lower class of service than what you paid for or being rerouted to less accessible airports or different planes for those with disabilities.
Refunds for delayed bags and other issues
Besides flight delays or cancellations, travelers now have protection for delayed baggage. If a checked bag isn't delivered within 12 hours after a domestic flight or 15 to 30 hours after an international flight (based on flight length), the passenger can get a refund of any baggage fees. However, they must submit a mishandled baggage report to the airline.
The new regulations also include refunds for additional fees paid for in-flight services. If you pay extra for seat selection, Wi-Fi, or in-flight entertainment and don't get those services, the airline must refund you.
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Travel credits for other situations
Imagine you get really sick just days before your flight and want to change it. Usually, airlines hit you with change fees or a big price difference for last-minute changes. However, with new rules, if a doctor says you can't travel due to a contagious illness, airlines must give you a travel credit or voucher for what you paid. (You might need to show proof like a doctor's note.) Plus, if travel restrictions from the government in another country stop you from flying, airlines now have to give you a travel credit that's good for 5 years.
Updated refund rules for airlines
One major headache with refunds for delayed flights is how long it takes. The new DOT rules want to change that by making airlines automatically give refunds for affected flights, so passengers don't have to ask for them.
Airlines must issue quick refunds – within 7 days for credit card payments and 20 days for other methods – along with returning the full ticket price, minus any travel already taken. According to the new rules, passengers facing delays or cancellations will also get notifications from airlines explaining their refund rights.
On April 24th, 2024, the Department of Transportation shared its final ruling, and the new rules started in October. Still, airlines have 6 months to set up the automatic refund rule and a year to roll out the travel voucher rule for medical reasons.
