The United States regulates what airlines must refund and disclose, not what they must pay for lost time. The rules sit in Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations and are enforced by the Department of Transportation (DOT).
If your flight touches Europe, the UK or Brazil, check those regimes too, because EU261 and UK261 apply to US airlines on departures from their territory.
No compensation for delays
No federal rule gives cash, meals or a hotel for a flight delay. In December 2024 DOT opened a consultation on requiring compensation for airline-caused disruption. It withdrew that proposal by notice published on 17 November 2025 (90 FR 51230).
What remains is each airline’s own promise. The large US airlines have committed, in their customer service plans, to things like a meal voucher when a controllable delay reaches three hours and a hotel for a controllable overnight delay.
DOT lists the commitments airline by airline on its Airline Customer Service Dashboard.
Tip
Check your airline there before you ask at the desk.
Watch out
Weather and air traffic control delays are not “controllable”.
Automatic refunds (14 CFR Part 260)
The final rule published on 26 April 2024 is in force. You are owed a refund of the ticket and any unused extras when the airline cancels or significantly changes the flight and you do not accept the alternative, a credit or other compensation (14 CFR 260.6).
| “Significant change” (14 CFR 260.2) | Domestic | International |
|---|---|---|
| Departure earlier, or arrival later, by | 3 hours or more | 6 hours or more |
| Different departure or arrival airport | Yes | Yes |
| More connections than booked | Yes | Yes |
| Downgrade to a lower class of service | Yes | Yes |
Refunds must be automatic, to the original form of payment, within 7 business days for credit cards and 20 calendar days for other payments.
Congress put the 3-hour and 6-hour thresholds into statute in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (49 U.S.C. 42305).
Other refunds under the same rule:
- Checked bag fee if the bag arrives more than 12 hours after a domestic flight, 15 hours after an international flight of 12 hours or less, or 30 hours after a longer one, provided you file a mishandled baggage report (14 CFR 260.5).
- Paid extras such as Wi-Fi or seat selection that you did not receive (14 CFR 260.4).
Good to know
Status in October 2026: DOT is reconsidering how a “cancelled flight” is defined. Meanwhile it is not enforcing the refund duty where a flight is only renumbered and nothing else changes significantly. That pause runs until 7 July 2027. The rest of the rule is enforced as written.
Denied boarding (14 CFR Part 250)
Airlines must ask for volunteers first (14 CFR 250.2b). If you are bumped against your will, compensation depends on how late the substitute transport gets you there (14 CFR 250.5).
| Arrival delay, domestic | Arrival delay, international from the US | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1 hour | Up to 1 hour | None |
| 1 to 2 hours | 1 to 4 hours | 200% of the one-way fare, capped at $1,075 |
| Over 2 hours | Over 4 hours | 400% of the one-way fare, capped at $2,150 |
The caps have applied since January 2025 (89 FR 84818). Payment is due the same day in cash or by cheque, or within 24 hours if you leave before it can be made (14 CFR 250.8).
There is no compensation if you missed the check-in deadline or a smaller aircraft was substituted for safety or operational reasons (14 CFR 250.6). See denied boarding.
Tarmac delays (14 CFR 259.4)
At US airports the airline must let passengers off before a tarmac delay exceeds three hours on domestic flights and four hours on international flights. Exceptions cover safety, security and air traffic control instructions.
Food and drinking water are due no later than two hours in, toilets must work, and passengers must be told the status once the delay passes 30 minutes.
Baggage (14 CFR Part 254)
On domestic flights an airline may not limit its liability for lost, damaged or delayed bags to less than $4,700 per passenger (14 CFR 254.4). That is a floor for the cap. You still have to prove the loss. On international itineraries the Montreal Convention limit applies instead. Practical steps are in lost baggage.
How to file a DOT complaint
- Complain to the airline in writing first and keep the reference.
- If that fails, use DOT’s online form, reached from its complaint page.
- DOT forwards the complaint to the airline. Airlines must acknowledge a written complaint within 30 days and send a substantive reply within 60 days (14 CFR 259.7).
DOT does not rule on individual claims or order payment to you, but complaints drive its enforcement. For money the airline refuses to pay, the remaining routes are a card chargeback or small claims court. The sequence is in how to claim.