What to Know About Airline Passenger Refunds

Winter storm-related delays and cancellations mean travelers are entitled to refunds

Snow is cleared at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Jan. 26, 2026, after a major winter storm that moved across the country caused numerous flight delays and cancellations.

Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo

Berit Thorkelson and Susan B. Barnes,

Updated January 26, 2026

AARP

Published July 22, 2024

/ Updated January 26, 2026

A massive winter storm dumped sleet, freezing rain and snow over a 2,000-mile swath of the U.S. on Sunday, from New Mexico and Texas all the way up to New England.

Some 12,000 flights were canceled Sunday and nearly 20,000 were delayed, according to the flight tracker FlightAware, as reported by The Associated Press. The challenges continue into Monday morning, as FlightAware reported more than 4,800 cancellations and 12,800 delays.

The U.S. Department of Transportation requires airlines to automatically provide passengers with cash refunds when they have experienced significant flight disruptions. Airlines may offer another flight or a travel credit instead of a refund, but travelers can reject the offer and opt for a refund instead.

If you need to claim a refund for your flight cancellation or delay, keep the following tips in mind.

Refunds 101

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Aviation Consumer Protection program, you may have rights if your travel plans are impacted by a flight delay or cancellation, depending on the reason. The program applies to Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit and United airlines and their regional operating partners, which make up approximately 96 percent of domestic scheduled passenger air traffic.

As an airline passenger, you are entitled to a full refund of the airfare you paid if:

The airline cancels your flight for any reason (weather, mechanical or staffing issues) and you decide not to travel.
The airline has made a schedule change or significantly delays your flight and you decide not to travel.

Most major U.S. airlines, including American, Delta, United, Southwest and JetBlue, have dedicated online resources for requesting a refund and checking on its status. If you paid for one class of service and are involuntarily moved to a lower class, you are owed the difference in fares. A refund is also in order if you paid baggage fees or purchased optional services such as a seat upgrade or in-flight Wi-Fi and cannot use those services due to a flight cancellation, delay or schedule change.

If you are entitled to a refund for interrupted or canceled travel, the DOT requires airlines and ticket agents to make payments within seven business days if you paid by credit card, and within 20 days if you paid by cash or check.

By the book

For quick reference as to which airlines have made commitments to compensating passengers when controllable cancellations occur, the DOT created a one-stop source: the Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard. According to the Transportation Department, “Airlines are required to adhere to the promises that they make in their customer service plan, including commitments to care for customers in the event of controllable delays or cancellations. The Department will hold airlines accountable if they fail to do so.”

All 10 airlines in the program are committed to rebooking passengers on the same airline at no additional cost when a controllable flight cancellation or delay occurs, and all are committed to providing cash or vouchers for meals when a flight delay results in passengers waiting three hours or more.

All airlines except Frontier are committed to providing complimentary hotel accommodations for passengers affected by overnight delays or cancellations, as well as transportation to and from the hotel.

When trying to make new travel plans at the airport, keep in mind that being polite may inspire customer service representatives to take that extra step to help.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published July 22, 2024. It has been updated to reflect new information.

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Contributing: The Associated Press.

Berit Thorkelson is a travel writer and editor for aarp.org. She has also written for publications such as National Geographic Traveler, Better Homes & Gardens and The Minnesota Star Tribune's travel section.

Susan B. Barnes is a longtime writer specializing in travel who has written for Afar, Allrecipes, Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and other publications.

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What to Know About Airline Passenger Refunds

﻿﻿Winter storm-related delays and cancellations mean travelers are entitled to refunds

Refunds 101

By the book

Winter storm-related delays and cancellations mean travelers are entitled to refunds