Flight canceled or significantly changed: your refund rights and what to save

The short answer

For flights to, from or within the United States: if the airline cancels your flight or makes a "significant change," and you do not accept the new flight or a voucher, you are owed a full refund of the unused fare, plus taxes and fees. This applies to nonrefundable tickets, and the reason for the cancellation does not matter. Bad weather counts.
The refund is automatic when the airline sold you the ticket. (If a travel website charged you, ask it for the refund.) It must go back to the way you paid: within 7 business days for a credit card, or 20 calendar days for other payment types.
Accepting ends the refund right. If you accept the rebooked flight, a travel credit or a voucher, the airline no longer owes you a refund under the rule. Decide before you tap "accept."
U.S. law does not require cash compensation for delays or cancellations. In November 2025, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) dropped a plan to require it. Meals and hotels depend on each airline's own written promises.
Save your original booking, the change notice, every offer and your answer, and every receipt. The dated checklist below shows which record matters for which rule.

What counts as a cancellation or a significant change

The federal refund rule is 14 CFR Part 260. It took effect June 25, 2024, and airlines had to comply with its refund requirements by October 28, 2024. Its text was last amended on August 12, 2024, and it is unchanged as of October 22, 2026. Congress also wrote the core refund right into federal law in May 2024 (49 U.S.C. 42305). The rule covers scheduled flights by U.S. and foreign airlines to, from or within the United States.

A canceled flight is a flight that was in the airline's schedule when you bought your ticket but did not operate.

A significant change is any of the following, when the airline caused it:

Change made by the airline	Domestic trip	International trip
You now leave earlier than first scheduled	3 hours or more	6 hours or more
You now arrive later than first scheduled	3 hours or more	6 hours or more
You leave from, or arrive at, a different airport	Counts	Counts
Your trip now has more connections	Counts	Counts
You are moved to a lower class of service (for example, business to economy)	Counts	Counts
You have a disability and are routed through a different connecting airport	Counts	Counts
You have a disability and the replacement plane lacks an accessibility feature you need	Counts	Counts

The 3- and 6-hour lines cover long delays on the day you travel, not only schedule changes announced weeks ahead.

What the rule does not cover. A smaller change, such as a domestic flight moved 2 hours later, is not "significant" under the federal definition, although the airline's own policy may still let you change or cancel for free. And if your flight operates as planned and you decide not to go, a nonrefundable ticket is generally not refunded under these rules.

Renumbered flights. Since December 5, 2025, DOT has not enforced the refund rule when only the flight number changes, if you are rebooked on the renumbered flight and nothing else changes significantly. On July 7, 2026, DOT extended this pause to July 7, 2027. A renumbered flight with a significant change still brings the refund right.

When the refund is automatic, and what ends it

You do not have to request a refund from the airline in three situations:

The airline cancels your flight and offers no other flight and no voucher or credit.
You turn down the changed flight, the rebooking and any voucher or credit.
You do not answer the offer, and the new flight leaves without you. If only a voucher was offered, the refund is due once the original departure date passes without your acceptance.

What ends it. Accepting the new flight or the voucher. The airline may not treat you as having accepted a voucher unless you actively agree. When it offers a voucher in place of a refund, it must clearly tell you that you have a right to a refund, list the voucher's restrictions, and make the voucher valid for at least five years.

How much. The full fare for the unused part of your ticket, plus taxes and fees, including paid extras you could not use, such as seat selection. If you already flew part of the trip, DOT expects airlines to value the unused part fairly, following normal industry practice.

How it is paid. To your original form of payment: card, cash or airline miles. A different form is allowed only if you agree and it works like cash, such as a check or a bank transfer, with no fees for you. Airlines may not keep a processing fee.

Booked through a travel website or agent? Check your card statement. If the travel company, not the airline, charged you, it is the "merchant of record," and you must ask it for the refund. It may keep its own service fee only if that fee was clearly disclosed at purchase and covered more than processing your payment.

Bags and paid extras. Fees for paid services you did not get, such as Wi-Fi or seat selection, must also be refunded automatically. A checked-bag fee is refunded if the bag is lost or arrives more than 12 hours late on a domestic trip (15 or 30 hours on international trips, depending on flight length), but only if you file a Mishandled Baggage Report, ideally before you leave the airport.

If you or someone you travel with has a disability

The Air Carrier Access Act bans disability discrimination in air travel, on U.S. airlines and on foreign airlines' flights to or from the United States. Under the refund rule, if a downgrade or a replacement plane leaves you without an accessibility feature you need, or you are routed through a different connecting airport, you can tell the airline you do not want to continue. You are owed a refund, and so is anyone on your reservation who does not want to travel without you.

At the airport, ask for the airline's Complaints Resolution Official (CRO), who must be available in person or by phone (with TTY) and can overrule other staff. DOT reviews each disability complaint and sends the passenger its findings.

Meals, hotels and compensation: what airlines promise

Airline promises. Federal rules require large U.S. airlines to follow their own customer service plans, and DOT's Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard shows those commitments side by side. In November 2025, DOT reported that the 10 largest U.S. airlines all promised a meal and free rebooking on the same airline after a disruption within the airline's control, and 9 promised a hotel and ground transportation when such a disruption forces an overnight stay.

Fewer disruptions will count as "controllable" from 2027. A federal reporting rule takes ten kinds of events out of the "airline-caused" category for flights from January 1, 2027. (It was due to start October 19, 2026; DOT delayed it to February 1, 2027.) They include unscheduled maintenance that cannot be put off, including maintenance a federal airworthiness directive requires; a medical emergency that was not the airline's fault; removal of an unruly passenger; cyberattacks; sudden failures of government systems; and damage from extreme weather, debris or sabotage. DOT expects fewer disruptions to qualify for meals and hotels as a result.

What to do at the counter. Ask what caused the disruption and whether the airline treats it as within its control. Ask for meal vouchers or a hotel if your airline's plan promises them. If you pay yourself, keep receipts and send them with a written request. Your refund right does not depend on the cause.

What changed in 2025 and 2026

Date	DOT action	What it means for you
November 17, 2025	Withdrew its proposal on cash compensation, meals and lodging, citing limits in a 2024 aviation law	No federal requirement to pay you for a delay or cancellation
December 5, 2025, extended July 7, 2026	Paused enforcement for renumbered flights until July 7, 2027	A new flight number alone may not bring a refund
December 10, 2025	Will not enforce amenity promises when urgent maintenance ordered by an airworthiness directive causes the disruption	Hotel and meal promises may not apply, until further notice or until DOT's delay-cause rulemaking ends
April 24, 2026	Rule requiring airlines to post a one-page summary of passenger rights; in effect May 26, 2026	Posting is not required until DOT announces paperwork approval; no such notice as of October 22, 2026
September 3, 2026; delayed October 15, 2026	Ten events excluded from "airline-caused," starting February 1, 2027	Fewer disruptions count as controllable for flights from January 1, 2027
Pending	A rulemaking DOT calls "Refund III" may redefine cancellations and significant changes	No proposal had been published as of October 22, 2026

Flights to or from Europe, the U.K. or Canada

European Union. EU Regulation 261/2004 covers flights leaving an EU airport on any airline, and flights into the EU from outside it on an EU airline. A U.S. airline's flight from New York to Paris is not covered on the way over, but its return from Paris is.

Cancellation: choose a refund (due within seven days) or another flight. You may also be owed €250, €400 or €600, depending on distance, unless you were told at least 14 days ahead, or in some cases offered a close replacement flight, or the airline proves "extraordinary circumstances" it could not have avoided.
Long delay: arriving 3 hours or more late may bring compensation on a similar scale. Meals and refreshments are due after a wait that depends on distance, and you can ask for a refund once a departure delay reaches 5 hours.
Complaining: contact the airline first. With no reply after two months, or an answer you disagree with, go to the national enforcement body in the country where it happened.

An updated EU law, Regulation (EU) 2026/2202, entered into force on October 22, 2026, but it applies only from October 23, 2027. It keeps the €250, €400 and €600 amounts and the 3-hour arrival-delay threshold. Until then, the current rules apply.

United Kingdom and Canada. The U.K. has its own rules for flights leaving U.K. airports on any airline and some flights arriving there; see the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority. Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations cover flights to, from and within Canada; when a cancellation or a delay of 3 hours or more is outside the airline's control and you choose a refund, it is due within 30 days. See the Canadian Transportation Agency.

What to save: a dated records checklist

Each item notes which rule it supports: [U.S.] the DOT refund rule, [Plan] your airline's customer service plan, [EU/U.K.] European or U.K. rules, [Card] a card dispute. Record the date and time on everything.

From your booking

Confirmation and receipt showing fare, taxes, fees, paid extras and payment method. [U.S.] [Card]
Who charged your card: the airline or a travel company. [U.S.]
Original flight numbers and scheduled departure and arrival times. [U.S.] (needed to measure a 3- or 6-hour change)

When the change happens

The cancellation or change notice, with the date and time you received it. [U.S.] [EU/U.K.] (in Europe, the notice date affects compensation)
The new itinerary and any voucher terms offered. [U.S.]
Your answer, in writing if you can: an app screen, chat transcript or email, plus agent names. [U.S.]
A photo of the departure board or a flight-status screenshot showing actual times. [U.S.] [EU/U.K.]
The reason the airline gave, and whether it called the cause controllable. [Plan] [EU/U.K.]
Boarding pass or check-in confirmation. [EU/U.K.]
Mishandled Baggage Report number, and when your bag came back. [U.S.]

Afterward

Receipts for meals, hotel, rides and replacement tickets. [Plan] [EU/U.K.]
Statement lines showing the original charge and the refund, or its absence. [U.S.] [Card]
Copies of every complaint and reply, with dates sent and received.

Clocks to watch

What	Time limit	Counted from
Airline refund, credit card	7 business days	The date the refund became due
Airline refund, other payment	20 calendar days	The date the refund became due
Travel company refund, credit card	7 business days	When the company receives refund eligibility information from the airline
Travel company refund, other payment	20 calendar days	The date the refund became due
Airline reply to a written complaint	Acknowledge within 30 days; answer within 60 days	When the airline receives it
Credit card billing dispute	Must reach the card issuer within 60 days	After the first statement showing the problem was sent

A printable version is on the flight disruption records checklist.

Example (fictional): A traveler pays for a nonrefundable round trip from Sacramento to Chicago with a debit card. Two weeks out, the airline moves the outbound flight 4 hours later and adds a connection, a significant change. The traveler taps "refund," not "accept," and saves screenshots of the notice and the choice. The fare, taxes and paid seat fee must go back to the debit card within 20 calendar days. Tapping "accept" would have ended the refund right.

If the refund does not arrive

Ask the airline in writing. Name your flight, the date, the offer you declined and the amount. Mention 14 CFR 260.6. Keep the reference number.
File a DOT complaint. DOT sends it to the airline or travel company, which must reply to you and copy DOT. DOT does not investigate every service complaint, but it uses complaints to spot problems, and serious violations can lead to enforcement action.
Dispute the charge with your card issuer. Federal law lets you dispute credit card charges for services not delivered as agreed; your letter must reach the issuer within 60 days after the first statement showing the problem. Call your issuer as soon as a refund is late and ask which deadline applies.
Use only official contact routes. The Federal Trade Commission warns that scammers pose as airline customer service on social media. Use the airline's app, website or airport counter, and never share booking or bank details in social media messages. See how to check before you pay.
For large losses, ask a legal aid office or a consumer attorney about small claims court or other options.

Traveling with medicine? Carry it in your hand luggage and bring enough for delays; Medication Safety During Travel explains how. If you will be outside the United States, also see Does your health plan cover you when you travel abroad?

Sources

14 CFR Part 260 — Refunds for Airline Fare and Ancillary Service Fees — Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, last amended August 12, 2024; current as of October 20, 2026.
Refunds and Other Consumer Protections, final rule, 89 FR 32760 — U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Register, April 26, 2024.
Refunds and Other Consumer Protections (2024 FAA Reauthorization), final rule, 89 FR 65534 — U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Register, August 12, 2024.
49 U.S.C. 42305, Refunds — U.S. Code as reproduced by the Legal Information Institute, accessed October 22, 2026.
14 CFR 399.80, Unfair and deceptive practices of ticket agents — Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, current as of October 20, 2026.
14 CFR 259.5, Customer Service Plan — Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, current as of October 20, 2026.
14 CFR 382.151, Complaints Resolution Officials — Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, current as of October 20, 2026.
Passengers with Disabilities (Air Carrier Access Act) — U.S. Department of Transportation, last updated September 16, 2025.
Airline Passenger Rights; Withdrawal, 90 FR 51230 — U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Register, November 17, 2025.
Airline Refunds and Other Consumer Protections, notification of enforcement discretion, 90 FR 55999 — U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Register, December 5, 2025.
Airline Refunds and Other Consumer Protections, extension of enforcement discretion, 91 FR 41556 — U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Register, July 7, 2026.
Airline Customer Service Commitments for Controllable Flight Disruptions: Unscheduled Maintenance in Response to FAA Airworthiness Directives, 90 FR 57138 — U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Register, December 10, 2025.
One-Page Document on Passenger Rights, final rule, 91 FR 21955 — U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Register, April 24, 2026.
Cause of Airline Delay and Cancellation Categories Under Section 511(b) of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, final rule, 91 FR 56588 — U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Federal Register, September 3, 2026.
Cause of Airline Delay and Cancellation Categories Under Section 511(b) of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024; Delay of Effective Date, 91 FR 65456 — U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Federal Register, October 15, 2026.
Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard — U.S. Department of Transportation, last updated September 11, 2025.
Ticket Refunds — U.S. Department of Transportation, last updated July 8, 2026.
File a Consumer Complaint — U.S. Department of Transportation, last updated August 1, 2025.
Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 on air passenger rights — European Parliament and Council, EUR-Lex, accessed October 22, 2026.
Air passenger rights — European Union, Your Europe, last modified September 21, 2026.
Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 amending Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 — European Parliament and Council, Official Journal of the European Union, L series, October 2, 2026.
Cancellations — U.K. Civil Aviation Authority, accessed October 22, 2026.
Air Passenger Protection Regulations — Canadian Transportation Agency, accessed October 22, 2026.
Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges — Federal Trade Commission, accessed October 22, 2026.
Scammers impersonate airline customer service representatives — Federal Trade Commission, July 25, 2024.