US flight cancelled or significantly delayed (your refund rights)
Applies under: us-dot-14cfr
If a US flight is cancelled or significantly changed and you decline rebooking, the 2024 DOT rule entitles you to a prompt automatic cash refund. US law sets no fixed delay or cancellation compensation.
Your rights
You can take the airline's rebooking, or decline it and get a full automatic refund of the unused portion of your ticket and any paid extras (seats, bags, Wi-Fi), to your original form of payment. Unlike the EU, US law does not add a fixed compensation payment on top.
When this applies
Flight to, from, or within the US is cancelled, or significantly changed (delay of 3+ hours domestic / 6+ hours international, a changed airport, added connections, or a downgrade), and you choose not to travel on the alternative offered.
Step by step
- Decline the rebooking if you want a refundThe automatic refund right is triggered when you do not accept the alternative transportation. Tell the airline you want a refund, not a voucher.
- Confirm the refund goes to your original payment methodRefunds must be in cash or to the original form of payment, automatically and promptly — not as a credit or voucher unless you choose one.
Common airline pushback
“We can only offer a flight credit or a voucher.”
The 2024 DOT rule requires a prompt automatic refund to your original form of payment when you decline rebooking; a credit is only an option if you choose it.
If the airline refuses
- The airline directly
- National regulator
Typical outcomes
| Compensation range | No fixed compensation |
|---|---|
| Success rate | 88% |
| Time to resolution | median 10 days · 90th pct 45 days |