What the DOT rule requires
The US Department of Transportation's refund rule, codified at 14 CFR Part 260 and published as a final rule in April 2024, requires airlines and ticket agents to give a refund when a flight is cancelled or significantly delayed or changed and the passenger does not accept the alternative offered. Refunds must be automatic once the conditions are met: you should not have to fight for them, and the airline must not deem you to have accepted a credit unless you affirmatively agree.
What counts as a significant change
The regulation defines a significantly delayed or changed flight. The triggers are:
- Departure three hours or more earlier (domestic) or six hours or more earlier (international) than originally scheduled.
- Arrival three hours or more later (domestic) or six hours or more later (international).
- A different departure or arrival airport.
- More connection points than the original itinerary.
- A downgrade to a lower class of service.
- For passengers with disabilities, different connecting airports or a substitute aircraft lacking needed accessibility features.
A cancellation is a trigger by itself.
How fast the airline must pay
Prompt refunds mean within 7 business days for credit card purchases and within 20 calendar days for cash, check, debit card and other payment methods. The refund goes to the original form of payment, and it includes taxes and fees and any ancillary fees for services you could not use, such as seat selection.
When there is no automatic refund
If you took the flight or accepted a rebooking, the automatic refund generally does not apply, because you used the transportation. The same is true if you knowingly accepted a travel credit, voucher or other compensation instead of cash. And ordinary delays that do not reach the thresholds give no refund right under federal law.
Checked bag fees
Bag fees must be refunded when a checked bag is significantly delayed and you filed a mishandled-baggage report. The thresholds are 12 hours after arrival for domestic itineraries, 15 hours for international itineraries whose nonstop segment to or from the US is 12 hours or less, and 30 hours where that segment is more than 12 hours.
No cash for delays
Unlike EU261, US federal law does not require airlines to pay fixed compensation for delays or cancellations. Several airlines have made voluntary commitments — meals, hotels, rebooking on partners — which DOT tracks on its Airline Customer Service Dashboard. Those commitments are enforceable as part of the airline's customer service plan, but they vary by carrier. Denied boarding due to overbooking does have its own federal compensation rules, separate from this tool.
Flying to or from Europe
A flight from the EU to the US is covered by EU261 on any airline, so the same disruption can give you a US refund right and EU compensation. Check with the rules checker.