You May Be Entitled to Compensation if Your Flight is Delayed and Canceled

Last year, about ¼ of all flights nationwide were delayed. With enough travel in any given year, you’re likely to encounter a delay or cancellation, which can span anywhere from a few minutes to hours.

Luckily for passengers, airlines are under additional scrutiny by the United States DOT, and in some instances, passengers are now entitled to compensation.

What delays qualify for compensation?

• Delays of 3+ hours domestically and 6+ hours internationally
• Departing or arriving airport changes
• The addition of a new or different connection city
• A change to your ticket class

For any of these itinerary or cabin changes, you are entitled to a refund if you choose not to travel because of these changes, thanks to regulation changes implemented in April 2024.

You also can't take other forms of compensation, either. Sometimes, airlines will try to offer or convince passengers to take flight credits or travel vouchers instead of a refund. For this reason, we recommend that you always advocate for yourself and take a refund instead.

United States flight delay passenger rights

Though not as robust or clear as EU policies, the United States DOT sets guidelines so that air travelers nationwide have guaranteed rights, in addition to the right to a refund, that airlines must meet in the event of a lengthy flight delay or cancelation. And while United States air carriers are not typically required to compensate passengers in the event of bad weather, controllable flight disruptions come with a set of passenger rights that must be met. Tarmac delays that occur after your board are also treated differently.

Each carrier in the United States also outlines passenger rights in their contracts of carriage, which the DOT holds airlines accountable for.

In nearly all cases, compensation and passenger rights are only granted when flight delays are controllable.

Controllable delays

Controllable flight delays are those disruptions that are your airline's fault.

The most common controllable delays include:

• Maintenance problems and technical issues
• Flight crew absence and delays
• Baggage/ground delays
• Refueling
• Boarding delays
• Completion of paperwork/airline aircraft authorization

In all controllable delays, passengers are entitled to full refunds if they choose not to travel or accept any other forms of compensation, like vouchers or frequent flyer miles.

If you do opt to travel, you are entitled to other rights, which we'll cover in a moment.

Uncontrollable delays

Uncontrollable delays, on the other hand, are "acts of God" and events that your airline had no control over, such as:

• Poor weather
• Air traffic control delays
• Security incidents
• Civil unrest
• Strikes or labor issues

When airlines have no control over these delays, passengers only have one option: accepting a refund if they opt to cancel their travels.

Receiving a refund

If you opt for a refund rather than traveling, your carrier should be able to automatically process it back to your original payment method, presumably a credit card. According to DOT regulations, refunds most now be processed within 7 business days for flights purchased with credit card, and 20 business days for all other payment methods.

Remember that your carrier may try to process a future travel credit instead of a refund. Do not take it, as they usually expire and you may not have the opportunity to use it before it does.

Flight delay compensation by airline

If you decide to wait out your flight delay, you do have other passenger rights that must be met by your airline.

Here are your flyer rights, by airline. Passenger entitlements do vary based on carrier, and some carriers, like Alaska and Hawaiian, offer more robust passenger protection programs. All rights are only valid for controllable flight disruptions, unless otherwise specified.

1. Alaska Airlines

Alaska has committed in its contract of carriage to:

✅ Complimentary rebooking with Alaska Air or another airline

✅ Meal vouchers for 3+ hour delays

✅ Hotel accommodations for overnight delays

✅ Free transportation to/from the hotel

✅ Travel voucher or credit for a future flight

MORE: Alaska Air flight delay compensation

2. Allegiant Air

✅ Complimentary rebooking with Allegiant only

✅ Meal vouchers for 3+ hour delays

✅ Hotel accommodations for overnight delays

✅ Free transportation to/from the hotel

❌ No travel voucher or credits

MORE: Allegiant Air flight delay compensation

3. American Airlines

✅ Complimentary rebooking with American or another airline

✅ Meal vouchers for 3+ hour delays

✅ Hotel accommodations for overnight delays

✅ Free transportation to/from the hotel

❌ No travel voucher or credits

MORE: American Airlines flight delay compensation

4. Delta Air Lines

✅ Complimentary rebooking with Delta or another airline

✅ Meal vouchers for 3+ hour delays

✅ Hotel accommodations for overnight delays

✅ Free transportation to/from the hotel

❌ No travel voucher or credits

MORE: Delta Air Lines flight delay compensation

5. Frontier Airlines

✅ Complimentary rebooking with Frontier only

✅ Meal vouchers for 3+ hour delays

✅ Hotel accommodations for overnight delays

✅ Free transportation to/from the hotel

❌ No travel voucher or credits

MORE: Frontier Airlines flight delay compensation

6. Hawaiian Airlines

✅ Complimentary rebooking with Hawaiian or another airline

✅ Meal vouchers for 3+ hour delays

✅ Hotel accommodations for overnight delays

✅ Free transportation to/from the hotel

✅ Travel voucher or credit for a future flight

MORE: Hawaiian Airlines flight delay compensation

7. JetBlue Airways

✅ Complimentary rebooking with JetBlue only

✅ Meal vouchers for 3+ hour delays

✅ Hotel accommodations for overnight delays

✅ Free transportation to/from the hotel

✅ Travel voucher or credit for a future flight

MORE: JetBlue Airways flight delay compensation

8. Southwest Airlines

✅ Complimentary rebooking with Southwest only

✅ Meal vouchers for 3+ hour delays

✅ Hotel accommodations for overnight delays

✅ Free transportation to/from the hotel

✅ Travel voucher or credit for a future flight

MORE: Southwest Airlines flight delay compensation

9. Spirit Airlines

✅ Complimentary rebooking with Spirit only

✅ Meal vouchers for 3+ hour delays

✅ Hotel accommodations for overnight delays

✅ Free transportation to/from the hotel

❌ No travel voucher or credits

MORE: Spirit Airlines flight delay compensation

10. United Airlines

✅ Complimentary rebooking with United or another airline

✅ Meal vouchers for 3+ hour delays

✅ Hotel accommodations for overnight delays

✅ Free transportation to/from the hotel

❌ No travel voucher or credits

MORE: United Airlines flight delay compensation

How to earn additional flight delay compensation

Frustrating airline customer service experiences during flight delays are all too common in 2025. Unfortunately, it is unusual for airlines to proactively offer compensation to passengers, even if DOT regulations mandate it.

Here is how to ensure you receive what you're entitled to, plus the possibility of extra compensation.

1. Know the rules

Understand all of your rights, both those protected by the DOT, and those unique airline policies above.

Since most compensation doesn't happen until your delay hits 3 hours in length, you should spend some time early in your wait verifying if your disruption qualifies as controllable or not. Late crew, aircraft maintenance, technology issues, and more are all considered qualifying.

Unfortunately, many airlines are not always transparent about the cause of a flight delay, so don't be afraid to ask. If a gate agent is being deliberately vague, you are within your rights to ask for additional details. If something still feels off, use tools like FlightAware to track your incoming flight and rule out uncontrollable delays, like poor weather or air traffic control delays.

After you have this clarity, reference your rights.

If at any point, your carrier is in violation of what they are supposed to do, calmly remind a gate or customer service agent of your rights.

2. Document everything

Any time you check FlightAware or talk to an airline gate or customer service agent, document your interaction.

Digital screenshots, as well as a list of names and times of interactions, can be used to further bolster your case if you decide to file a complaint after your flight in search of additional compensation. We can help with this.

Remember to keep it factual and don't present any evidence that is not true, or you'll lose any leverage you may have.

3. Be persistent

Once your delay hits the 3 hour mark, you should approach an airline employee and ask about your options.

At a minimum, you should be offered a meal voucher, and if your delay or cancellation is expected to last overnight, a hotel room. Remember that airlines oftentimes only offer these arrangements by request, so the onus may be on you to speak up. The DOT does not hold airlines accountable for this, so there is no motivation for airlines to proactively offer anything.

4. Save expense and food receipts

For late night flights, vouchers for food and lodging may not be available, especially if an airline's hotel block is full for the night. If this happens to you, you'll need to pay your own way for a meal and room.

However, most domestic airlines will reimburse you for these expenses, as long as you have proof of purchase. Keep these expenses reasonable (no eating at Capital Grill or staying at the J.W. Marriott), so that your carrier does not have any basis to deny your reimbursement claim. You may also ask if there is a reimbursement limit.

If you were handed the useless paper vouchers, keep them as documentation to prove to your carrier that you have not yet been compensated.

5. OPTIONAL: File a complaint when you get home

Maybe you were denied the compensation you were entitled to, lied to by an airline employee, or otherwise had an unpleasant experience that deserves an airline response.

If you're able to demonstrate an unacceptable experience, you may earn some extra compensation from an airline, particularly if you continue to escalate it. There are three main ways to do this:

• File the complaint yourself
• File your complaint through the DOT
• File your complaint with MyAirAdvocate

We'll advocate on your behalf and work with your carrier directly to earn you the compensation you earn. We'll be able to get results faster than the DOT, and there is no risk to working with us, thanks to the Our Success or It’s On Us model.

Frequently asked questions

The world of flight compensation is complicated. Here are answers to questions you may have.

1. Am I entitled to compensation if my flight is delayed?

Yes, if the delay is controllable and lasts 3+ hours in lenth. Passengers may be entitled to compensation based on DOT rules and individual airline contracts of carriage.

2. What are controllable flight delays?

Controllable delays include those caused by the air carrier itself, like aircraft maintenance problems, crew scheduling delays, refueling, and baggage delays. Weather and air traffic control issues are not considered controllable, and thus are not considered compensable.

3. Which airlines offer hotel rooms for overnight flight delays/cancellations?

All U.S. airlines except for Frontier Airlines provide complimentary hotel accommodations for overnight cancellations caused by controllable factors, along with transportation to and from the hotel.

4. Do airlines offer meal vouchers during long flight delays?

Yes. If a controllable delay is expected to last three hours or longer, all U.S. airlines provide meal vouchers.

5. Can I be rebooked on another airline if my flight is canceled?

Yes, certain carriers like Alaska, American, Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue, and United will rebook you on a partner airline if available. Spirit, Frontier, Southwest, and Allegiant do not offer this option.