Allegiant Air: Compensation and Refund Guide After Flight Delays and Cancelations

When your travel itinerary is disrupted with a flight delay or cancelation, it is easy to get frustrated. The only silver lining, however, is that you have passenger rights outlined by both Allegiant Air and the United States Department of Transportation.

And while domestic flights within the United States do not carry compensation rights, earning future trip credit, vouchers, or frequent flyer miles is still possible in some cases.

File for Compensation

Allegiant Air passenger rights

Like all other U.S. based carriers, Allegiant Air committed to the federal government that they will grant travelers certain rights in the event of a controllable delay or flight cancelation, those flight disruptions that occur because of factors within Allegiant’s control (pretty much everything beyond weather issues, security concerns, or air traffic control delays). These are known as controllable delays.

This includes the following:

• Aircraft maintenance
• Crew shortages
• Paperwork delays
• Boarding delays

Delays deemed uncontrollable, including air traffic control delays, security concerns, or unforeseen "Acts of God" are events where Allegiant cannot be required to provide compensation or be held accountable to passenger entitlements by the DOT.

Even with controllable disruptions, we’ll be honest – Allegiant does provide less accommodations than many other carriers nationwide, but they still are held accountable to provide passengers with what they've outlined in their Contract of Carriage.

When these rights are not met, passengers may have a right to further compensation, either though filing a complaint or having MyAirAdvocate work on your behalf.

Should Allegiant cause you a controllable disruption, you’re entitled to:

1. Complimentary rebooking on the next available flight

Allegiant is required to rebook impacted passengers after flight disruptions. If you’ve paid for any extras, like legroom for instance, that are not available on your new itinerary, you are entitled to a refund for those unused extras you may have paid for.

Allegiant, along with Frontier, Spirit, and Southwest, are the only domestic carriers that will not rebook you on partnered airlines if available, since they are not part of the SkyTeam or OneWorld alliance.

2. Right to a refund

If your flight is significantly delayed, or if it is canceled, you may be eligible for a refund.

• Flight delays: If your flight is significantly delayed and you opt not to fly, you may be entitled to a refund. The DOT has not put any timeframe on what constitutes a “significant” delay. Instead, each case is handled on a case-by-case basis, though you should inform Allegiant why the delay is significant (missed appointment, vacation time, etc).
• Cancelled flights: If your flight is cancelled and you opt not to fly, you are guaranteed a refund, no matter whether the cause was a mechanical delay, poor weather, or something else altogether.

3. Tarmac delay rights

Delays that occur after you board the airplane come with more passenger rights and government scrutiny. For safety and comfort reasons, Allegiant can only delay flights two hours on the tarmac before passengers need to be offered food, water, and lavatory access.

After three hours, passengers must be offered the chance to deplane.

Learn more about tarmac delay rights.

When you're delayed by at least three hours

Once a controllable delay or cancelation reaches three hours in length, Allegiant passengers become eligible for more help.

If Allegiant delays or cancels your flight, causing you at least a three-hour delay, they are required to provide you with a meal voucher or credit to use in the airport terminal. The value of this meal may vary based on the airport, though it should materially help offset the extra costs you’d otherwise incur.

In addition to a meal voucher, Allegiant has committed to providing:

1. Complimentary hotel accommodations if your disruption lasts overnight

If your flight delay or cancellation spans the overnight hours, Allegiant will cover your hotel expenses for the night you are stranded. A gate or customer service agent can help reserve you a room, and if Allegiant's room blocks have already filled for the night, give you advice on making your own reservation (which will then be reimbursed as long as it is reasonable.

2. Complimentary transportation to/from your hotel

Allegiant has committed to cover ground transportation to and from your hotel. Usually, you'll be booked at a nearby airport hotel with a complimentary shuttle, but in the event that you had to book your own offsite accommodations for a night, you should save your receipt and submit it for reimbursement.

Frequently asked questions

Here are some answers to the most common questions on your mind.

1. Does Allegiant provide refunds after flight disruptions?

No, Allegiant does not provide refunds after flight delays or cancelations, unless you opt not to travel. If you opt to cancel your itinerary after a disruption, you may be offered a future flight credit first. We recommend you always advocate for your passenger rights and insist on a refund.

2. What if Allegiant doesn't follow your passenger rights?

If you feel like Allegiant is violating your DOT of contract of carriage rights, you should first ensure thhis is the case. Ensure that your flight delay is controllable, and if so, remind a gate or customer service agent of your entitlements.

Calmly request your meal voucher, hotel accommodation, or whatever it is you're looking for.

If your request is denied, remember to file a complaint or have us advocate on your behalf.