flight delays
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These US Airlines Will Compensate You For Flight Delays & It’s About To Get Even Better

"When an airline causes a flight cancellation or delay, passengers should not foot the bill."

James Crawford | Dreamstime, Jwpnw | Dreamstime

Flight delays and cancellations are every traveler’s nightmare and something many deal with while waiting to board a plane to that destination they’ve been dreaming of for a long time. However, these uncomfortable situations could soon become a bit less of a problem, as U.S. airlines would compensate you after keeping you stranded.

For the first time ever, the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) is planning to launch an initiative that would require airlines to compensate and cover the expenses of travelers affected by flight delays and cancellations controlled by the air companies.

This means it would be mandatory for airlines to cover things like meals, hotels, and rebooking stranding passengers when the carriers are responsible for the flight disruptions.

"When an airline causes a flight cancellation or delay, passengers should not foot the bill," DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a press release.

This planned regulation includes the following:

  • Passengers need to be compensated when there’s a controllable flight cancellation or major delay.
  • Airlines are required to offer a meal or meal voucher, accommodations, ground transportation to and from the hotel, and rebooking to stranded travelers.
  • Airlines need to offer timely customer service.
  • Definition of a controllable cancellation or delay.

Additionally, in order to offer travelers more transparency, DOT launched the FlightRights website and extended the Airline Customer Service Dashboard for passengers to get informed about the kind of services the different airlines offer.

With that in mind, here are the ten major U.S. airlines’ current commitments for controllable cancellations and delays:

Alaska Airlines

Controllable cancellations:

  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost
  • Rebook on partner airline or another airline with which it has an agreement at no additional cost
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
  • Credit/travel voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more from the scheduled departure time
  • Frequent flyer miles when cancellation result in passenger waiting for three hours or more from the scheduled departure time

Controllable delays:

  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost for significant delays
  • Rebook on partner airline or another airline with which it has an agreement at no additional cost for significant delays
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when flight delay results in passenger waiting three hours or more
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight delay
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight delay
  • Credit/travel voucher when delay results in passenger waiting for three hours or more from the scheduled departure time
  • Frequent flyer miles when delay results in passenger waiting for three hours or more from the scheduled departure time

Allegiant Airlines

Controllable cancellations:

  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation

Controllable delays:

  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost for significant delays
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when flight delay results in passenger waiting three hours or more
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight delay
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight delay

American Airlines

Controllable cancellations:

  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost
  • Rebook on partner airline or another airline with which it has an agreement at no additional cost
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation

Controllable delays:

  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost for significant delays
  • Rebook on partner airline or another airline with which it has an agreement at no additional cost for significant delays
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when flight delay results in passenger waiting three hours or more
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight delay
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight delay

Delta Airlines

Controllable cancellations:

  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost
  • Rebook on partner airline or another airline with which it has an agreement at no additional cost
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation

Controllable delays:

  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost for significant delays
  • Rebook on partner airline or another airline with which it has an agreement at no additional cost for significant delays
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when flight delay results in passenger waiting three hours or more
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight delay
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight delay

Frontier Airlines

Controllable cancellations:

  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight

Controllable delays:

  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost for significant delays
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when flight delay results in passenger waiting three hours or more

Hawaiian Airlines

Controllable cancellations:

  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost
  • Rebook on partner airline or another airline with which it has an agreement at no additional cost
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation

Controllable delays:

  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost for significant delays
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when flight delay results in passenger waiting three hours or more
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight delay
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight delay

JetBlue Airlines

Controllable cancellations:

  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost
  • Rebook on partner airline or another airline with which it has an agreement at no additional cost
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
  • Credit/travel voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more from the scheduled departure time

Controllable delays:

  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost for significant delays
  • Rebook on partner airline or another airline with which it has an agreement at no additional cost for significant delays
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when flight delay results in passenger waiting three hours or more
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight delay
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight delay
  • Credit/travel voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more from the scheduled departure time

Southwest Airlines

Controllable cancellations:

  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation

Controllable delays:

  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost for significant delays
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when flight delay results in passenger waiting three hours or more
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight delay
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight delay

Spirit Airlines

Controllable cancellations:

  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation

Controllable delays:

  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost for significant delays
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when flight delay results in passenger waiting three hours or more
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight delay
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight delay

United Airlines

Controllable cancellations:

  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost
  • Rebook on partner airline or another airline with which it has an agreement at no additional cost
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation

Controllable delays:

  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost for significant delays
  • Rebook on partner airline or another airline with which it has an agreement at no additional cost for significant delays
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when flight delay results in passenger waiting three hours or more
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight delay
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight delay

Currently, none of these ten airlines offer cash compensations for cancellations or significant delays that result in the passenger waiting for three hours or more from the scheduled departure time.