How many hours delay on a flight are you entitled to a refund?

There's no official requirement for passengers to receive a refund or reimbursement as a result of a flight delay, though the DOT's delay and cancellation dashboard can help travelers better understand what they're entitled to.



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Delayed flights: you may be able to claim compensation if your flight arrived 3 hours or more late. Canceled flights: you may be eligible for compensation if your flight was canceled less than 14 days before it was due to depart.

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According to the DOT, airlines are not required to provide money or other compensation when flights get delayed, regardless of how late they are. However, when a “significant delay” takes place, passengers may receive refunds for seat selection fees or checked baggage fees.

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Delayed Flights However, federal law does not require airlines to provide passengers with money or other compensation when flights are delayed. So if your trip is delayed and you end up stuck in the airport, any hotel rooms, meal vouchers or other monetary compensation will be given at the discretion of the airline.

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In this case, passengers would be entitled to compensation. If your flight has been delayed by at least 3 hours at your destination, you are well on your way to a successful case. To make sure of this, you also need to check the flight route and distance, which will also affect how much you can claim.

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Once passengers have boarded the aircraft, the compensation structure is $100 in credit for a delay between three and five hours, $175 in credit for a delay between five and six hours, or a $250 credit for a delay of six hours or more.

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Now, the DOT has defined language and timing so that a significant delay would be defined as one that affects the departure or arrival time of a domestic flight by three hours or more (or by at least six hours for an international flight).

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So it can delay the flight for an hour to several hours until the problem is fixed. Technical issues are pretty rare, but airlines are liable to pay compensation to their passengers if the delay is of more than 3 hours. The amount of compensation, however, depends upon the flight distance.

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You're entitled to get compensation if the flight arrives more than 3 hours late and it's the airline's fault - for example, if they didn't get enough bookings or there was a technical fault.

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If there is a flight delay of 2 hours, the airline staff will usually provide you with vouchers that can be redeemed at local airport restaurants and snack bars.

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Why Do Flights Get Delayed So Often?
  • Extreme Weather. As most frequent flyers already know, extreme weather events can cause flight delays, and even flight cancellations in some cases. ...
  • Late Arriving Aircraft. ...
  • Waiting for Connecting Passengers or Connecting Bags. ...
  • Mechanical Delays.


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You can ask for compensation If you end up paying for hotel or transit costs out of pocket due to a delay, keep your receipts and submit a claim through the airline. You can ask Delta Air Lines to reimburse you for these added travel costs. You may also consider asking for some Delta SkyMiles for the inconvenience.

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The main categories of events that are likely to be an extraordinary circumstance include: Weather conditions incompatible with the safe operation of the flight. Strikes (unrelated to the airline such as airport staff, ground handlers, air traffic control or border force) Acts of terrorism or sabotage.

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To receive compensation, you must file a claim with the airline for the delay, and the delay must have been caused by a factor within the airline's control (so a weather delay wouldn't count).

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Our pick of the best flight compensation companies
  • Skycop.com: Top choice overall.
  • AirHelp.com: Most widely recognized.
  • ClaimCompass.eu: Superior value.
  • Flightright.com: Most adaptive.
  • Flight-Delayed.co.uk: Most user-friendly.
  • AirAdvisor.com: Smoothest interface experience.
  • Refundmore.com: Utmost reliability.


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If you arrive at your destination within 1 hour of your original scheduled arrival time, you will not be compensated. If you arrive at your destination between 1 to 2 hours after your original arrival time, you will be compensated for 200% of your one-way ticket price or a $775 maximum.

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With this protection, you are assured a compensation in the event that your flight is delayed for more than 1 hour or if your baggage is delayed for more than 6 hours.

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It's 400% for over four hour arrival delays with the same $1,550 limit. These are the amounts airlines must pay by law. They can pay more if they choose to. Airlines must offer the compensation at the airport on the same day.

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Submitting a Claim
  1. Click on Get Reimbursed and select the account you wish to submit a claim for.
  2. Choose to either submit your receipts/documentation either by uploading a file or through fax or mail.
  3. Upload, fax or mail the completed form, along with receipts or other documentation by the date indicated.


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