Flight Cancelled Due to Weather? How to Get Compensated
Not much is worse than arriving at the airport, excited for a vacation, only to find your travel plans in disarray because of weather-induced flight cancellations.
And while you're technically not entitled to traditional airline compensation, you still have rights as a passenger. Knowing these rights can help prevent or limit the loss of your precious vacation time or money.
This guide will help you navigate weather related flight cancellations without ruining your vacation.
Weather-related flight disruption compensation
Airlines typically do not provide compensation for weather-related flight delays or cancellations because they are seen as "non-controllable" delays, meaning airlines are not at fault for them. However, many passengers don't know the intricacies of the actual rules, causing them to miss opportunities to earn reimbursement or other financial benefits.
We'll make sure you know all of your rights and are prepared for any delay or cancellation thrown your way.
What is a non-controllable delay?
Weather is just one of a series of non-controllable delays, caused by events beyond your airline's control. Beyond snowstorms, thunderstorms, ice, floods, fog events, wind (turbulence), hurricanes, and other weather-related catalysts, non-controllable delays also include:
- Natural disasters
- Air traffic control delays
- Ground stops
- Security concerns
- Other "acts of God"
Because these events cannot be controlled and flight schedules will be impacted, airlines are able to avoid liability. So while you likely will not be compensated for your lost time after a flight delay or cancellation, you must be offered complimentary rebooking, or a refund if you decide not to travel.
If your flight is significantly delayed or cancelled as a result of poor weather, airlines are responsible to:
- Rebook you on the next available flight: Doing so may cause changes in your itinerary, including your departure/arrival airport, any connection cities, and the number of connections
- Refunds if you opt not to fly: You'll receive a refund for any unusedportion of your airfare. If you've traveled on part of your itinerary already, then you'll only receive a refund for the unused portion of your fare (in addition to seat fees, bag fees, and other add-on fees)
What to do if weather causes a flight cancellation
Should you find your flight cancelled due to poor weather, do these 4 things as soon as possible to minimize any loss of time or money:
- 1. Understand your rebooking options
- 2. Ensure you know your passenger rights
- 3. Explore alternate travel itineraries if needed
- 4. Utilize your travel insurance
1. Understand your rebooking options
Remember - your airline will rebook you on the next available flight in the event that Mother Nature impacts your travel plans. Lines are likely to be long at your gate or customer service desk in the terminal, so you may need to pack your patience. Some carriers may also let you rebook yourself digitially through their websites or mobile apps.
In full transparency, time is of the essence here, particularly with 100-200+ passengers competing for a finite amount of available seats to get to the same destination. In some cases, you may need to add a connection to another city, even if your original itinerary was direct.
2. Know your passenger rights
While you don't have as many passenger rights for weather-related disruptions as you do on other flight delays/cancellations, you are not powerless. These rights are often airline specific, and some carriers may grant you a meal voucher or hotel room if you ask for one, though this is not guaranteed. It never hurts to ask, though.
3. Explore alternate travel plans
Many domestic flights within the United States are short and only cover a few hundred miles. If your flight could feasibly be covered by car, train, or bus, you may take a refund from your airline and apply it towards an alternate mode of transportation. It may not be pleasant, but it may help save your vacation.
You should also check other airline itineraries to see if you may find a better option.
4. Utilize your travel insurance
If you bought travel insurance, don't forget to utilize it. Depending upon the policy, you may be entitled to reimbursement for expenses incurred as a result of your flight disruption. This means that you'll need to keep receipts for any purchases that you make in the meantime.
Travel insurance policies for weather delays
We always recommend that travelers purchase travel insurance before they travel.
There is no shortage of policies you can buy online, but you'll want to make sure that your exact policy covers weather-related incidents. If you don't know where to start, online brokers like VisitorsCoverage can help you find the best policy for your upcoming travel.
Travel credit card insurance
Oftentimes, booking travel with travel credit cards entitles travelers to a certain level of travel insurance. Oftentimes, certain cards offer:
- Reimbursement for travel delay related expenses
- Trip cancellation protection if you opt not to travel
- Baggage delay protection
- Medical, accident, and other insurance coverage
We've written a guide on our favorite credit cards offering travel insurance.
Airline specific weather cancellation policies
We've mentioned that airlines handle weather disruptions differently. Here are some notable airline specific policies, organized by carrier.
You may reference the DOT's Airline Delay Dashboard for more details about your passenger rights. Here is a summmary below.
Allegiant Air weather delay policy
Allegiant's flight delay policy rebooks