The cost of flight delays or cancellations can quickly add up. On top of the inconvenience of being stuck in an airport for hours on end, missing a family gathering or a day of vacation, flight disruptions can get expensive — from extra meals at the airport to, in the worst cases, an unexpected night in a hotel.
In some cases, though, the airline might be willing to pay for some of those costs — specifically, when the disruption is due to an issue like maintenance or staffing (in other words, when the problem is the airline’s fault). You just might need to ask … and to know what your rights are.
In late 2022, the U.S. Department of Transportation unveiled an airline customer service dashboard that spells out how the 10 largest U.S. carriers accommodate passengers in the event of a cancellation or significant delay within the airline’s control.
The page, found at the web address FlightRights.gov, shows the commitments each airline has made in their customer service plans. The DOT claims most airlines firmed up and clarified those commitments during the dashboard creation process.
For their part, airlines contend that they were already providing most of these accommodations for passengers. Some airlines even view the exercise as unfair. For example, a low-cost carrier that lacks an interline agreement with other airlines might still book passengers on other airlines by paying full price for tickets. In other words, just because something is not listed here doesn’t mean an airline won’t provide it.
Don’t expect these types of accommodations for delays or cancellations that are outside an airline’s control, like those due to weather or air traffic control. Passengers are generally given little to nothing in the event of one of those delays or cancellations.
Here’s what each airline has committed to, according to the dashboard.
Alaska Airlines:
– Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost
– Rebook passenger on another airline at no additional cost
– Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight
– Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
– Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
– Credit/travel voucher and/or frequent flyer miles when cancellation results in passenger waiting three hours or more from the scheduled departure time
Allegiant Air:
– Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost
– Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight
– Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
– Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
American Airlines:
– Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost
– Rebook passenger on another airline at no additional cost
– Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight
– Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
– Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
Delta Air Lines:
– Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost
– Rebook passenger on another airline at no additional cost
– Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight
– Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
– Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
Frontier Airlines:
– Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost
– Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight
Hawaiian Airlines:
– Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost
– Rebook passenger on another airline at no additional cost
– Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight
– Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
– Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
JetBlue:
– Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost
– Rebook passenger on another airline at no additional cost
– Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight
– Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
– Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
– Credit/travel voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting three hours or more beyond scheduled departure time
Southwest Airlines:
– Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost
– Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight
– Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
– Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
Spirit Airlines:
– Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost
– Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight
– Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
– Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
United Airlines:
– Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost
– Rebook passenger on another airline at no additional cost
– Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight
– Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
– Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
It’s important to note that these commitments are specific to controllable cancellations and delays. Airlines are not obligated to provide these accommodations for delays or cancellations that are outside their control, such as those caused by weather or air traffic control.
So, if you find yourself facing a delay or cancellation, it’s worth checking the airline’s customer service plan and asking for the accommodations they have committed to providing. It could save you from incurring unnecessary expenses and make the experience a little more bearable.