How do I get rebooked or refunded when my US flight is cancelled or delayed?

Summary

The steps

1. 1

   Act on three fronts at once, right now

   The direct answer: When a cancellation or significant delay is announced, open the airline app, join the agent line, and call the airline simultaneously. Do not wait for one channel to fail before trying the next. Whichever reaches a live agent first is your fastest path to a confirmed seat on the next available flight.

   Why each channel matters in practice:

   • The airline app sometimes surfaces a rebooking offer automatically within minutes of a cancellation. Accepting a good app offer early can get you confirmed before the agent line even forms.
   • The agent line gives access to inventory and options the app may not show, including seats on partner carriers and manual overrides that require a human agent. Being physically present in the queue matters even while you are also on the phone.
   • The phone connects you to a different pool of agents, often with shorter wait times than the gate queue during a mass cancellation at a busy hub. A phone agent can rebook you while you are still standing in the physical line.

   Two habits that protect your options from this moment forward: screenshot every notification the airline sends, and keep every receipt for any meal, transport, or accommodation you pay for out of pocket.

   Do this

   Open the airline app and check for an automatic rebooking offer or flight status update.,Walk to the agent line at the gate or nearest ticket counter immediately.,Call the airline's customer service number at the same time as joining the line.,Screenshot the cancellation or delay notification and your booking reference.,Keep receipts for every out-of-pocket expense from this point forward.

   Example

   A traveler at a large US hub whose flight is cancelled opens the app, sees a rebooking offer for a flight three hours later, and calls the airline while walking to the gate agent. The phone agent confirms the new booking in minutes; the traveler steps out of the queue with a confirmed seat.

   Best practice

   Do not accept the first rebooking offer without checking alternatives. The app may show one option; a phone agent may have access to others, including seats on partner carriers. Accepting a poor offer closes off better options.
2. 2

   Your first 30 minutes: the numbered action sequence

   Use this numbered list at the airport right now. Steps 1-3 run simultaneously, do not wait for one to fail before starting the next. At a major US hub during a mass cancellation, available seats on the next flight fill within minutes; speed across all channels is the variable you control.

   1. Open the airline app and check for a rebooking offer or updated flight status.
   2. Join the agent line at the gate or ticket counter immediately.
   3. Call the airline while walking to the line, whichever channel reaches a human first wins.
   4. Evaluate the rebooking offer before accepting, ask whether alternatives exist, including different routings or earlier flights.
   5. Check the DOT Airline Customer Service Dashboard at transportation.gov/airconsumer/airline-customer-service-dashboard to see what meals or hotel your airline has committed to provide if it caused the disruption.
   6. Ask the gate agent explicitly for any meal vouchers or hotel accommodation your airline has committed to: these are not always offered proactively.
   7. Screenshot every notification and save any written or in-app offers made to you.
   8. Keep every receipt (meals, transport, accommodation) from this moment forward.

   Do this

   Run steps 1-3 simultaneously, not sequentially.,Do not leave the agent line just because the app shows no options, the agent may have access to inventory the app does not.,Ask explicitly for meal vouchers or hotel accommodation; they are not always offered proactively.

   Example

   A traveler stranded overnight checks the DOT Airline Customer Service Dashboard on their phone while in the agent line, confirms their airline has committed to hotel accommodation for airline-caused delays, and asks the gate agent for a voucher before leaving the counter.

   Best practice

   Treat this as a parallel checklist, not a sequential one. Available seats on the next flight fill quickly after a mass cancellation, speed across all channels is the variable you control.
3. 3

   Understand your rebooking options before you accept anything

   When a flight is cancelled or significantly changed, the airline will typically offer one or more of the following options:

   • A seat on the next available flight to your destination, sometimes on a different routing.
   • A seat on a partner or codeshare carrier, depending on the airline's policies and available inventory.
   • A travel voucher or credit for future use.
   • A refund to your original form of payment.

   You are not required to accept any particular option. The DOT automatic refund rule (effective May 16, 2024, published at transportation.gov, Refunds) is clear: if you do not accept the alternative offered, you are entitled to a refund in your original form of payment. Evaluate each option against your actual travel needs before accepting anything.

   A practical note: agents at the gate are under pressure during a mass disruption and may present the first available option as the only one. Asking directly, “Is there anything earlier, or via a different hub?”, often surfaces options that are not volunteered.

   If your disrupted flight is part of a connection, see our guide How to navigate a large hub airport for guidance on missed connections and onward routing.

   Do this

   Ask the agent explicitly what all available options are, do not assume the first offer is the only one.,Check whether a different routing via a different hub gets you there sooner.,If a voucher is offered, ask about its expiry and restrictions before accepting.

   Example

   A traveler offered a rebooking 18 hours later asks whether any earlier options exist via a different connecting city. The agent finds a seat on a routing that arrives only two hours after the original scheduled time.

   Best practice

   If you are rebooked on a significantly later flight and the delay makes the trip impractical, you retain the right to a refund rather than a rebooking. You do not have to accept a rebook you do not want.
4. 4

   Know your refund rights under the DOT automatic refund rule

   The direct answer: If the airline cancels your flight or makes a significant change, and you do not accept the alternative offered, you are entitled to a refund in your original form of payment. This entitlement is established by the US DOT automatic refund rule, effective May 16, 2024, published at transportation.gov, Refunds and explained in plain language at DOT's automatic refund rule explainer. The airline cannot require you to accept a voucher or travel credit: those are yours only if you choose them.

   A significant change on a domestic itinerary, as defined in the DOT's published rule at transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/refunds, includes:

   • Departing 3 or more hours earlier than scheduled
   • Arriving 3 or more hours later than scheduled
   • A change of departure or arrival airport
   • An increase in the number of connections
   • A downgrade in class of service

   For international itineraries, the departure and arrival time thresholds are 6 or more hours, as stated in the same DOT rule at transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/refunds.

   Refunds must be issued within 7 business days for credit-card purchases and 20 calendar days for other payment methods, per the DOT's published rule at transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/refunds.

   How to make the request clearly: Agents sometimes offer vouchers without mentioning the refund option. If you qualify and want a refund, state it explicitly: “I am requesting a refund to my original form of payment under the DOT automatic refund rule.” Make the request in writing, via the airline's app or website, so you have a dated record of the request and the airline's response.

   Do this

   If you do not want the rebooking offered, tell the airline you are requesting a refund to your original form of payment.,Do not accept a voucher under pressure: you have the right to a cash or card refund if you qualify under the DOT rule.,Note the date of your cancellation or change; the rule applies to events on or after May 16, 2024.

   Example

   A traveler whose domestic flight is rescheduled to arrive 4 hours later than booked declines the new itinerary and requests a refund to their original credit card, citing the DOT automatic refund rule published at transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/refunds. The airline processes the refund within 7 business days.

   Best practice

   Request the refund in writing (via the airline's app, website, or a written note to the agent) so you have a record of the request date and the airline's response. A verbal request with no record is harder to follow up on.
5. 5

   Meals and hotels: what airlines commit to, and what the DOT rule does not require

   The direct answer: Meals and hotel stays during a disruption are airline commitments, not a requirement of the DOT automatic refund rule (published at transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/refunds). What you receive depends on your airline's own customer service policy and whether the airline itself caused the disruption.

   The practical distinction that matters most: weather delays and air-traffic-control delays are generally outside the airline's control, and most airlines do not commit to meals or hotels in those cases. When the airline itself causes the disruption, a mechanical issue or a crew scheduling problem, many large US airlines have made voluntary commitments to provide meals and, for overnight delays, hotel accommodation.

   The DOT Airline Customer Service Dashboard, published at transportation.gov/airconsumer/airline-customer-service-dashboard, lists what each large US airline has committed to provide when it causes a cancellation or significant delay. Commitments vary by airline, check the dashboard for your specific carrier before spending money out of pocket.

   Keep every receipt regardless. Even if you are unsure whether the airline owes you reimbursement, a receipt gives you the option to ask. A receipt you do not have cannot be reimbursed.

   Do this

   Check the DOT Airline Customer Service Dashboard at transportation.gov/airconsumer/airline-customer-service-dashboard to see what your airline has committed to provide.,Ask the gate agent or airline representative explicitly whether meal vouchers or hotel accommodation are available.,Keep receipts for every meal, hotel night, and transport cost you pay out of pocket.

   Example

   A traveler stranded overnight at a hub airport checks the DOT Airline Customer Service Dashboard, confirms their airline has committed to hotel accommodation for airline-caused delays, asks the gate agent, and receives a hotel voucher and meal credit before leaving the counter.

   Best practice

   If the airline provides a hotel voucher, use it rather than booking independently unless you have a specific reason not to, independently booked hotels may not be reimbursed at the full rate.
6. 6

   If the airline does not resolve your complaint: file with DOT

   If you believe you are owed a refund or reimbursement and the airline has not provided it, follow this two-step process:

   1. Contact the airline first. Use the airline's official customer service channel: app, website, or written correspondence. Document every contact: date, channel, name of representative if available, and the outcome. A written record is essential if you later escalate to the DOT.
   2. If unresolved, file a complaint with DOT. The US Department of Transportation's Office of Aviation Consumer Protection accepts complaints at transportation.gov/airconsumer/file-consumer-complaint. The DOT uses complaint data to monitor airline compliance with consumer protection rules, including the automatic refund rule published at transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/refunds. Airlines are aware that DOT complaint volumes inform enforcement priorities.

   Filing a DOT complaint does not guarantee a specific outcome for your individual case, but it creates an official record and contributes to regulatory oversight of airline practices.

   Do this

   Document every contact with the airline: date, channel, and outcome.,Attach copies of your receipts, booking confirmation, and any written communications to your DOT complaint.,File the DOT complaint promptly, a timely, documented complaint is more useful than one filed months later.

   Example

   A traveler denied a refund after a qualifying cancellation contacts the airline twice with no resolution, then files a DOT complaint at transportation.gov/airconsumer/file-consumer-complaint with supporting receipts and booking documentation, creating an official record of the airline's non-compliance with the automatic refund rule.

   Best practice

   File the DOT complaint as soon as you determine the airline will not resolve the issue. A specific, documented complaint filed promptly is more actionable than a vague one filed long after the event.

Your first 30 minutes: the numbered action sequence

DOT automatic refund rule: qualifying triggers at a glance

What this guide does not cover

FAQ

Am I entitled to a refund if my US flight is cancelled?

Yes. Under the US DOT automatic refund rule, effective May 16, 2024 and published at transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/refunds, if an airline cancels your flight and you do not accept the alternative offered or other compensation, you are entitled to a refund in your original form of payment. You cannot be required to accept a voucher or travel credit. Refunds are due within 7 business days for credit-card purchases and 20 calendar days for other payment methods.

What counts as a significant change that triggers a refund right?

Under the DOT automatic refund rule (effective May 16, 2024, published at transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/refunds), a significant change on a domestic itinerary includes departing 3 or more hours earlier than scheduled or arriving 3 or more hours later. For international itineraries the threshold is 6 or more hours. A change of departure or arrival airport, an increase in the number of connections, or a downgrade in class of service also qualify. If you reject the alternative offered, you are entitled to a refund in your original form of payment.

Does the airline have to give me a meal or a hotel room if my flight is delayed?

Not under the DOT refund rule, meals and hotel stays are airline commitments, not a federal legal requirement. What you receive depends on your airline's own customer service policy and whether the airline itself caused the disruption. The DOT Airline Customer Service Dashboard at transportation.gov/airconsumer/airline-customer-service-dashboard lists what each large US airline has committed to provide when it causes a cancellation or delay. Commitments vary by airline, so check the dashboard for your specific carrier.

What should I do in the first 30 minutes after a cancellation or delay is announced?

Open the airline app immediately and check for a rebooking offer. At the same time, join the agent line at the gate or ticket counter and call the airline's customer service number, whichever reaches a human first is your fastest path to a confirmed seat. Screenshot every notification and any offer the airline makes, and keep receipts for every out-of-pocket expense from this point forward.

What if the airline refuses to give me a refund I believe I am owed?

Contact the airline's customer service team first and document every interaction in writing. If the issue remains unresolved, file a complaint with the US DOT Office of Aviation Consumer Protection at transportation.gov/airconsumer/file-consumer-complaint. The DOT uses complaint data to monitor airline compliance with consumer protection rules, including the automatic refund rule published at transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/refunds.