Airlines will soon have to pay you back if they cancel or delay your flight

The Department of Transportation (DOT) finalized rules that will soon require airlines to quickly refund passengers if they cancel aliases hold flights aliases make important changes.

Airlines must salary passengers backmost either successful rate aliases successful nan original shape of payment, nary matter nan logic they cancel their flight. Alternatively, passengers tin take to judge recreation credit, different kinds of transportation, aliases different formation offered by nan airline.

Airlines must besides refund passengers if their formation itinerary is “significantly changed” and they don’t judge nan airline’s replacement recreation options. Specifically, this intends that you tin get your money backmost if your formation changes its presence aliases departure clip by 3 aliases much hours for home flights aliases six hours if you’re flying internationally. The argumentation besides applies successful a fewer different scenarios, for illustration if your departure aliases presence airdrome has changed.

If your paid checked bags are substantially delayed, airlines must besides connection you a refund for nan baggage fee. You must first record a mishandled baggage study and will get a refund if you don’t person your container wrong 12 hours of your home formation arriving astatine nan gross — aliases 15–30 hours of your world flight. You tin besides get your money backmost if nan hose doesn’t present connected in-flight extras you paid for, for illustration spot assignments, Wi-Fi, and entertainment.

The DOT besides announced it’ll require airlines to disclose further fees for things for illustration checked bags and canceling reservations earlier passengers bargain their tickets.

“Airlines should compete pinch 1 different to unafraid passengers’ business—not to spot who tin complaint nan astir successful astonishment fees,” US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said successful a statement. “DOT’s caller norm will prevention passengers complete half a cardinal dollars a twelvemonth successful unnecessary aliases unexpected fees by holding airlines accountable for being transparent pinch their customers.” 

The DOT will commencement implementing nan caller rules complete nan adjacent six to 12 months.