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Flight delays account for 23% of all flights in the U.S. – that’s according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. So, more likely than not, you'll experience one during your travels. So what flight delay compensation are your owed when it happens?

There are rules and agreements that airlines have made both with the DOT and within their own fine print that mean they’re required to compensate you when your flight is delayed.

Not only that, but sometimes you have additional coverage available through your credit card or travel insurance. Let’s break it down so you get what you’re entitled to next time your flight is delayed.

What Makes a Qualifying Delay? 

To be eligible for compensation (refund or other forms of compensation) your flight needs to have been “significantly” changed. For domestic flights, that’s defined as a change in departure or arrival time by 3 hours. If you’re flying internationally, “significant” jumps to 6 hours.

Though less frequent, these situations also count as “significant” changes:

• Departure from or arrival to a different airport than originally scheduled
• Modification of your itinerary to include more connecting airports than originally scheduled
• An involuntary downgrade to a lower cabin class than what you paid for

As of April 2024, airlines are legally required to give you an automatic, full refund if your flight is significantly delayed – but only if you choose not to fly at all and don’t accept other forms of compensation. 

For example, if your flight is delayed and the airline rebooks you on another flight, you're not entitled to a refund. But, if you choose to call it a day and cancel your flight altogether because of the delay, then you would get the automatic refund. 

Controllable vs uncontrollable delays

There are two categories of delays: controllable and uncontrollable. To be eligible for any kind of compensation, your flight needs to fall into the first category — it must be controllable by the airline.

Common examples of controllable delays are:

• Maintenance problems
• Crew scheduling 
• Baggage loading
• Fueling
• Cabin cleaning

However, during an uncontrollable delay (like weather, strikes and labor-related disputes, war and civil unrest, fuel shortages, government directives, etc), your consumer rights shrink.

For these uncontrollable situations, airlines have only one requirement: they must provide refunds if the flight has been significantly changed and the passenger chooses not to accept alternatives. 

This means you must decline rebookings, new flights, and all other forms of compensation and choose not to fly your trip. Only then will you be eligible for a refund, even if the delay was caused by something outside the airline's control, like weather.

How Does a Flight Delay Refund Work?

If you decline a new itinerary from the airline and opt not to fly, then your refund should be automatic to your original form of payment – like your credit card.

Your refund must be provided within 7 business days if you paid for the flight with a credit card or within 20 calendar days if you bought the flight with another payment method, like cash or check. 

Airlines can also offer a cash equivalent refund – like a flight voucher or miles. We recommend always taking the cash refund. A flight voucher can be great, but only if you remember to use it. If you forget, you’re out the money. 

READ MORE: Credit Card vs. Debit Card: Which Is Better?

Getting Additional Flight Delay Compensation

If you don’t accept the refund, and choose to wait out your flight delay until the next available flight, there are some things airlines have agreed to provide you in their Contract of Carriages and to the DOT. 

These include things like meal vouchers, hotel stays, and even frequent flier miles. There are a few small policy variations from one carrier to the next that you should keep in mind before you take to the skies.

Airline	Cancellation compensation
Alaska Airlines flight delay	– Rebooking at no extra cost with Alaska or partner airline – Meal vouchers for controllable delays 3+ hours – Hotel accommodations for controllable overnight delays – Travel credit or frequent flier miles as bonus compensation for controllable delays
Allegiant Air flight delay	– Rebooking at no extra cost with Allegiant – Meal vouchers for controllable delays of 3+ hours – Hotel accommodations for controllable overnight delays – No travel credits or frequent flier miles
American Airlines flight delay	– Rebooking at no extra cost with American or partner airline – Meal vouchers for controllable delays of 3+ hours – Hotel accommodations for controllable overnight delays – No travel credits or frequent flier miles
Delta Air Lines flight delay	– Rebooking at no extra cost with Delta or partner airline – Meal vouchers for controllable delays of 3+ hours – Hotel accommodations for controllable overnight delays – No travel credits or frequent flier miles
Frontier Airlines flight delay	– Rebooking at no extra cost with Frontier – Meal vouchers for controllable delays of 3+ hours – No hotel accommodations for controllable overnight delays – No travel credits or frequent flier miles
Hawaiian Airlines flight delay	– Rebooking at no extra cost with Hawaiian or partner airline – Meal vouchers for controllable delays of 3+ hours – Hotel accommodations for controllable overnight delays – Travel credit or frequent flier miles as bonus compensation for controllable delays
JetBlue Airlines flight delay	– Rebooking at no extra cost with JetBlue – Meal vouchers for controllable delays of 3+ hours – Hotel accommodations for controllable overnight delays – Travel credit as bonus compensation for controllable delays
Southwest Airlines flight delay	– Rebooking at no extra cost with Southwest – Meal vouchers for controllable delays of 3+ hours – Hotel accommodations for controllable overnight delays – Travel credit as bonus compensation for controllable delays
Spirit Airlines flight delay	– Rebooking at no extra cost with Spirit – Meal vouchers for controllable delays of 3+ hours – Hotel accommodations for controllable overnight delays – No travel credits or frequent flier miles
United Airlines flight delay	– Rebooking at no extra cost with United or partner airline – Meal vouchers for controllable delays of 3+ hours – Hotel accommodations for controllable overnight delays – No travel credits or frequent flier miles

EU Flight Delay Compensation

European flight delay compensation policies, specifically EU261, are more generous than U.S. flight delay compensation policies.

They legally apply to any flight within the European Union (and some European countries outside the Union), regardless of whether or not the carrier itself is European. They also apply to European carriers that depart from areas outside Europe.

The amount and type of compensation may vary for an international flight delay or cancellation. It depends not only on the flight's jurisdiction but also on its distance and delay length.

READ MORE: Domestic vs. International Flight Delay Compensation

How To Get Compensation for a Delayed Flight

Knowing the DOT’s rules and your airline’s internal policy will go a long way toward getting compensated if your flight is delayed.

But you’ll need to be proactive to ensure the airline follows through on its obligations.

Check if the delay qualifies

Remember that to be eligible for compensation, your flight delay needs to be two things: significant (3 hours or longer) and controllable by the airline. 

A wide range of controllable circumstances may lead to compensable flight delays. Things like unplanned maintenance, tardy crew, catering delays, refueling issues, and even boarding glitches from antiquated IT infrastructure are frequently the culprits for lengthy delays.

However, airlines generally won’t compensate for those force majeure delays — i.e., circumstances beyond their control, like foul weather.

If the airline doesn’t announce the reason for the delay, ask for clarification from one of the gate agents and write down their name and their response.

Notice if other airlines appear to be operating as normal, especially if you were told the delay was because of weather.

Don’t blindly accept the airline’s explanation if it claims the delay is uncontrollable, because force majeure circumstances explain a relatively small percentage of flight delays. 

Stay proactive

Many airlines’ customer service plans say they will provide passengers with compensation “upon request.” If a delay appears to qualify for compensation according to the airline’s policy, don’t expect the airline staff to take a stack of Hyatt Regency vouchers and make it rain. 

The bottom line is, most airlines aren’t proactively reaching out and offering compensation to affected passengers. It’s on you to request the compensation that’s owed to you, not the other way around.

Optimize communication

It’s also on you to keep communication channels open with the airline. Some airlines will assign vouchers via their app, email, or text, but others will only provide paper vouchers after you see the gate agent.

For the best chance of receiving timely compensation, download their app and provide accurate contact information when you check in so the airline can communicate with you.

Save those receipts

If your delay occurs late at night, an airline’s staff may only have vouchers for airport restaurants that are already closed or hotels that are fully booked. In these situations, you may need to pay out-of-pocket and seek reimbursement later, assuming the airline's policy covers these expenses.

Always photograph and save the receipts for the meal, hotel room, and related transportation services you purchase out-of-pocket. Also, keep any unused vouchers the airline gave you. This is your ammunition if you have to appeal to the airline for monetary compensation.

You might also need to provide proof that you don’t live close to the airport, like a current driver’s license. 

Other Ways To Get Compensated for a Flight Delay

In addition to knowing the airline's policies, there are two other ways to help cover the costs of a flight delay: the credit card you used to purchase your flight and travel insurance coverage.

Credit card coverage for flight delay compensation

Most travel credit cards include travel insurance as part of their benefits package.

How much you can claim will depend on the card and how long your delay or interruption was, but they can be great for covering expenses like food in the airport or a hotel stay. 

For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a great and affordable travel rewards card that will reimburse you up to $500 for delays over 12 hours or that require an overnight stay.

More premium cards like the American Express Platinum Card® and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card also reimburse you up to $500, but coverage kicks in after just six hours of being delayed.

In order to get reimbursed for these expenses, you’ll need to have purchased your ticket with your credit card, use that same card to cover any costs incurred from your delay, and then keep all of your receipts.

COMPARE: Best Credit Cards for Flight Delay Compensation

Travel insurance for flight delay compensation

Another way to ensure you get compensation for a flight delay is by buying a separate travel insurance policy ahead of your trip. This can be especially handy if you don’t have a credit card or if you’re flying on a budget airline.

I also recommend it anytime you’re taking a huge trip — you never know what could happen! 

Here are some things a travel insurance policy might cover:

• Incidental trip expenses incurred due to a delay (meals, hotels, etc.)
• Prepaid trip expenses that you miss out on due to a delay (like concert tickets or excursion tickets)
• Force majeure delays that aren’t covered by an airline’s contract of carriage, like bad weather or civil unrest
• Many other travel snafus, like medical expenses and lost luggage

READ MORE: Trip Cancellation Insurance: How It Works

FAQs

TL;DR: What You're Owed If Your Flight Is Delayed

Under DOT rules, you're entitled to a full refund if your domestic flight is delayed by more than three hours, or your international flight by more than six hours, regardless of the ticket type or reason for delay.

Refunds must be provided within seven business days for credit card payments or 20 days for other payment methods.

The 10 major U.S. airlines also provide meals or meal vouchers for delays over three hours due to controllable circumstances, and most offer hotel accommodations for overnight delays. However, airlines typically won't volunteer these compensations, so you'll need to proactively request them and save receipts for any out-of-pocket expenses.

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* Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.

Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.