Flight Cancelled? You're Owed Real Money — Not a Voucher

Airlines are experts at turning money they owe you into a voucher you'd rather not have. For cancelled flights, they can no longer do that by default in the US — the Department of Transportation's refund rules put the choice back in your hands.

Here's what you're actually owed when a flight falls apart.

Cancelled or significantly changed

If your flight is cancelled or significantly changed and you choose not to accept the alternative, you're entitled to a full refund — in cash, to the original payment method — not a travel credit. That's true regardless of why the flight was cancelled, including weather.

Significant change generally means a big schedule shift or airport change. If you do accept the rebooking, you're not getting the refund — so decide deliberately.

Long tarmac delays

Stuck on a plane for hours before takeoff? US rules require airlines to give you the option to deplane after set limits (roughly three hours for domestic, four for international), plus food and water. Passengers who deplane can typically get a refund if they choose not to continue.

What you won't automatically get

US rules don't mandate cash compensation for inconvenience the way Europe's does — for domestic delays you're generally owed a rebooking and, when you decline travel, a refund. Always ask about meal vouchers and hotel for overnight disruptions: policies exist, but they're applied inconsistently, and asking works more often than you'd think.

How to collect without a fight

• Ask for the refund in writing (support chat or email), using the words 'I am requesting a refund to my original payment method.'
• Keep your confirmation number and the airline's policy page date-stamped.
• If they stall, file a complaint with the DOT — airlines respond to those on a clock.
• Credit card issuers are a second lever: services-not-rendered disputes usually go your way with documentation.

Flying to or from Europe? Different math

Flights under EU/UK passenger-rights rules can carry fixed compensation — fixed amounts per passenger for long delays or short-notice cancellations, on top of the refund. If you fly transatlantic, that's often hundreds of euros you'd never know about. See our guide to flight compensation for how that works.