Getting a voucher, let alone a cash refund, for a significantly delayed or canceled flight is a major pain. There are tricks and tips for refunds that are even larger than the original price, but those can take time and persistence — which tend to be in short supply after having to scramble to fix spoiled travel plans. In April, the Biden Administration’s Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced new rules for easier guaranteed refunds. On October 28, the cash refunds portion of those new rules officially went into effect shortly before the holiday travel season.
Photo: Thiago B Trevisan/Shutterstock
Delayed or Canceled Flight? Airlines Now Required to Refund the Price in Full Automatically
The mandate now holds that cash refunds are required to be automatically processed regardless of whether or not impacted travelers go through the normal hoops for a refund. Specifically, if a flight is “canceled or significantly changed, and they do not accept the significantly changed flight, rebooking on an alternative flight, or alternative compensation,” according to CNN. Payments are required to be sent in full in seven business days if the flight was bought on a credit card and within 20 calendar days for other payment types.
Vouchers and airline credits don’t count — good news for anyone who has had to swallow the hard pill of taking an airline voucher for an airline that just burned them. Refunds for both significant delays and cancellations are only issued if the passenger doesn’t travel on the delayed flight or alternate itinerary from the airline.
The revised rules also clarify what is meant by a “significant delay”: more than three hours for departure or arrival delays on domestic flights, or six hours for international flights originating in the United States. Flights have have significant changes apply as well, where are defined as “departures or arrivals from a different airport; increases in the number of connections; instances where passengers are downgraded to a lower class of service; or connections at different airports or flights on different planes that are less accessible or accommodating to a person with a disability.”
Those aren’t the only refunds people on missed flights are now entitled to. Bag fees are refundable for luggage not delivered within 12 hours for domestic flights or 15 to 30 hours on international flights. WiFi that doesn’t work, as well as other inflight entertainment, needs to be refunded as well if it doesn’t work during the flight. In May 2025, people who were told by a medical professional not to travel for communicable diseases, or were restricted by government mandates, will be given an airline credit valid for at least five years. 