Winter weather often causes flight delays and cancellations. While airlines can’t control the weather, they are required in the U.S. to provide refunds to customers whose flights are canceled. Here’s what to know about your rights, and what to know when cancellations start piling up:
When airlines expect bad weather to create problems for flights, they often give travelers a chance to postpone their trips by a few days without having to pay a fee. Search online for your airline’s name and “travel alerts” or similar phrases to look for possible rescheduling offers.
It’s better to be stuck at home or in a hotel than to be stranded in an airport terminal, so use the airline’s app or flight websites to make sure that your flight is still on before heading to the airport. Airlines usually cancel flights hours or even days before departure time.
If you’re already at the airport, it’s time to find another flight. Get in line to speak to a customer service representative, and call or go online to connect to the airline’s reservations staff. It also helps to reach out on X, the site formerly known as Twitter.
Most airlines will rebook you on a later flight for no additional charge. That depends, however, on the availability of open seats. The good news for winter travelers is they stand a better chance of finding space in January than during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday periods, when passengers can wait days for a seat.
You can, but airlines aren’t required to put you on another carrier’s flight. Some airlines, including the biggest ones except Southwest, say they can put you on a partner airline, but even then it’s often hit or miss. Jeff Klee, CEO of CheapAir.com, has recommended researching alternate flights while you wait to talk to an agent.
If you no longer want to take the trip, or found another way of getting to your destination, the airline is legally required to refund your money, even if you bought a non-refundable ticket. It doesn’t matter why the flight was canceled.
“They can’t stick you with a voucher, you can get your money back,” Kyle Potter, executive editor of Thrifty Traveler, told The Associated Press last year. “That means you have to cancel your entire reservation, but that could be an easy option for some travelers — especially if you wind up booking a flight on another carrier.”
You are also entitled to a refund of any bag fees, seat upgrades or other extras that you didn’t get to use.
U.S. airlines are not required to pay cash compensation and cover lodging and meals for passengers who are stranded, even if a flight cancellation is the airline’s fault — such as the lack of a crew, a mechanical problem that grounds the plane, or a computer outage that brings the airline to a halt.
The Biden administration said last month it was working on a proposal to change that. Such a rule would make U.S. policy more closely resemble airline consumer protections in Europe and go far beyond the current requirement for American airlines to issue ticket refunds.
With just two weeks until President Joe Biden leaves office, the fate of additional regulations on airlines will be left in the hands of President-elect Donald Trump’s administration.
Each airline has its own policy. The U.S. Department of Transportation has a site that lets consumers see the commitments that each airline makes for refunds and covering other expenses when flights are canceled or significantly delayed.
If the weather forecast is troubling, consider booking a backup flight, says Potter, the Thrifty Traveler editor. Some airlines stand out as potential backups because they let customers get a full refund as long as they cancel within 24 hours of booking.
If lots of flights are canceled, airline agents will soon be swamped. If you are in a group and one person belongs to a higher level of the airline’s frequent-flyer program, use the number associated with that person to call the airline. You also can try calling your airline’s international help number — usually available online — since those agents can make changes in your itinerary too.
Be nice. The agent you’re talking to is probably dealing with lots of other frustrated travelers too, and screaming at the agent won’t make them want to help you. The cancellation isn’t their fault.