'I ended up spending over $1,700 to fly': What you're owed for a delayed, canceled flight (2024)

Travelers are still having a hard time getting to their destinations after a long weekend of severe winter weather dragged into Tuesday. More than 2,400 U.S. flights have been canceled as of 7 p.m. ET Tuesday, and more than 8,000 others have been delayed, according to FlightAware, which tracks air traffic in real time.

"It kind of just sucks," said Keith Patton, 31, who dealt with days of disruptions.

First, his American Airlines flight from Omaha, Nebraska, to Phoenix was delayed by five hours on Friday. "We ended up getting like 11 inches of snow (in Omaha), so I wasn't surprised to have an issue with my flight," he said, noting a broken de-icing machine exacerbated the delay.

Then on Sunday, his flight home was canceled. He said he texted with an airline agent to try to find another way home on American, but not seeing any viable options, he accepted the cancellation and booked a direct flight with Southwest Airlines for Monday.

That flight also got canceled.

"No delays, nothing like that, just canceled," the Omaha resident said. "I checked the Southwest app, and there was absolutely nothing else on Monday, and there was nothing even on Tuesday either."

However, he did find an $800 flight on Delta.

"But when I was trying to actually book it, the website was just crashing and terrible, and by the time I could actually hit the confirm button. It was gone," he said. "But they had like one first-class seat available, so I ended up spending over $1,700 to fly first class on Delta. That was really the only possible way I could have gotten home yesterday."

Patton knows most people don't have that option because airlines aren't required to rebook customers on other airlines, though some may if the cancellation is within their control.

"Something like this could burn up someone's entire emergency savings," he said.

Here's what travelers should expect when their flights are canceled or delayed.

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What happens if my flight is canceled?

Department of Transportation rulesrequire all airlines to offer customers a refundif their flights are canceled for any reason, but customers may be entitled to additional compensation if a cancellation is within the airline's control. Weather is outside of airline control.

According to the DOT's consumer dashboard, if Alaska, American, Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue or United cancela flight for controllable reasons, they're committed to:

• rebookingpassengers on the same airline or a partner airline, at no extra cost
• providinga meal or cash or voucher for a meal when the cancellation results in a passenger waiting at least 3 hours for a new flight
• providingcomplimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation
• providingcomplimentary ground transportation to and from a hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation

Alaska and JetBlue passengers are also eligible for additional compensation.

Allegiant, Frontier, Southwest and Spirit do not book passengers on partner airlines. Additionally, Frontier does not offer hotel accommodations and related transport.

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What happens if a flight is delayed?

"There are no federal laws requiring airlines to provide passengers with money or other compensation when their flights are delayed," according to the Department of Transportation.

However, U.S. carriers have committed to various levels of compensation for significant delays within their control. Each airline, however, defines significant delays differently.

If a flight is significantly delayed for reasons within their control, Alaska, American, Delta, Jet Blue and United offer:

• rebookingpassengers on the same airline or a partner airline, at no extra cost
• providinga meal or cash or voucher for a meal when the delay results in a passenger waiting for at least 3 hours for departure
• providingcomplimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight delay
• providingcomplimentary ground transportation to and from a hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight delay

Alaska and JetBlue also offer extra compensation when the flight is delayed by 3 or more hours.

Allegiant, Frontier, Hawaiian, Southwest and Spirit do not rebook travelers on partner airlines. Frontier doesn't offer hotel accommodations or related transport either.

USA TODAY broke it down by airline: If your flight is delayed, you may be eligible for compensation from your airline

What should I do if my flight is delayed?

If your flight is experiencing a long delay, the Transportation Departmentsuggests asking airline staff if they will pay for meals or a hotel room.

The DOT dashboard reflects airlines' official policies,but many carriers handle compensation for delays on a case-by-case basis and may provide vouchers or other benefits in some situations that are not formally covered.

For example, according to Delta's Customer Commitment, "Delta representatives are empowered with the flexibility and discretion to issue the following forms of compensation for passenger inconvenience when individual circ*mstances warrant doing so: cash equivalents (e.g., gift cards), travel credits/vouchers, and/or miles for SkyMiles members."

Travel insurance can also help with cancellations and delays. Some credit card companies will also reimburse cardholders for expenses related to travel disruptions, when travel is booked on their cards.

Contributing: Zach Wichter, USA TODAY; Associated Press

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