What happens if an airline keeps delaying your flight?

Refund entitlements for your flight The US Department of Transportation says you are entitled to a refund of your ticket cost because of a cancellation or “significant delay” and you choose not to travel. This is the policy regardless of the reason the airline cancels or delays the flight.



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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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Passengers can receive a refund for unused portions of their ticket if they decide not to travel as a result of a delay.

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Schedule Change/Significant Delay - A consumer is entitled to a refund if the airline made a significant schedule change and/or significantly delays a flight and the consumer chooses not to travel. DOT has not specifically defined what constitutes a “significant delay.”

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Though the law can be complicated, we're here to break it down for you: 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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It's often best to email or write to the airline's consumer office at its corporate headquarters. DOT requires airlines that fly to, from, or within the United States to state on their websites how and where complaints can be submitted. There may be a form on the airline's website for this purpose.

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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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Beyond Airline Compensation: Other Rights That Come With EC 261. In addition to compensation for your loss of time, if your delay exceeds 5 hours, you are entitled to a full or partial refund of your original ticket and a return flight to your point of departure, if needed.

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Send a demand letter to the airline (also known as an airline complaint letter). File a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation. File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). File a small claims lawsuit against the airline.

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Air travel isn't always fun. Things go wrong. And while you're unlikely to get compensated because a summer thunderstorm made your plane late, it's often worth complaining to the airlines and seeing what you can get for your travel inconveniences.

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I claim compensation relating to flight (flight number) which I booked from (departure airport) to (arrival airport) on (booking date). The flight was delayed for more than (delay time) hours OR canceled OR took place without me. The problem was not based on exceptional circumstances or act of god.

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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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U.S. airlines by rate of customer complaints 2022 In 2022 , Frontier Airlines reported 20.26 customer complaints for each 100,000 enplanements on domestic-scheduled operations. This was the highest rate of customer complaints among U.S. carriers.

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Delayed and Canceled Flights
If you find yourself with a delayed flight due to one of these reasons, ask the original airline if it will pay for a ticket on another airline. The DOT does not require the airline to offer compensation, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

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In the United States, airlines are not required to compensate passengers when flights are delayed or cancelled. Compensation is required by U.S. law only when certain passengers are “bumped” from a flight that is oversold.

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Here are the ten worst airlines, according to travelers in the United States: American Airlines: 2,183 flight problems and 6,491 reported complaints. United Airlines: 1,583 flight problems and 5,135 reported complaints. Spirit Airlines: 1,102 flight problems and 3,206 reported complaints.

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For the general complaint section, people brought up reasonable things to be mad at, like rude and unhelpful employees, larger-scale cancellations and other flight issues, and prices of flights.

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Airline tickets even allow some room for negotiation if you're not satisfied with the results when you search for cheap tickets. If you spend a lot on airline tickets every year, and are part of an airline's frequent flier program, you have more leverage than someone who rarely travels.

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When a flight delay occurs, you are entitled to assistance and a choice between rerouting, reimbursement, or rebooking. If you arrive at your destination more than 3 hours after your scheduled arrival time, you are entitled to the same reimbursement, rerouting, and rebooking structure as a denied boarding.

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You can usually get compensation if: you booked both flights as a single booking. you were delayed for more than 3 hours. the delay was the airline's fault.

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Beyond Airline Compensation: Other Rights That Come With EC 261. In addition to compensation for your loss of time, if your delay exceeds 5 hours, you are entitled to a full or partial refund of your original ticket and a return flight to your point of departure, if needed.

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