Here’s What Happens When Your Flight Is Canceled

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Flight cancellations can happen to anyone. Find out what happens when your flight is canceled and what you can do about it. 

When traveling, few things are worse than hearing your flight is canceled. But it happens, and it tends to happen more often around the holidays. Airports get much busier and bad weather is more common. Both of these issues increase the likelihood of flight cancellations.

While this is always inconvenient, it helps to know what happens next and what you can do when your flight is canceled. If you’re prepared, you’ll have an easier time navigating a stressful situation.

You’re entitled to a refund or getting rebooked on a new flight

If your flight is canceled for any reason, you’re entitled to a refund of the ticket price and any fees you paid. That’s a rule set by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and it also applies to nonrefundable tickets.

If you don’t want a refund, the airline is required to rebook you on a new flight at no additional cost. Depending on what’s available, that could be either later in the day or the next day.

Your new flight will normally be with the same airline. With some airlines, there may also be the option of getting rebooked on a flight with another airline at no additional cost. Budget carriers, including Southwest, don’t do this. But it can be an option with the following airlines:

Alaska AirlinesAmerican AirlinesDelta Air LinesHawaiian AirlinesJetBlueUnited Airlines

For long delays, airlines may provide a meal and hotel accommodations

Every U.S. airline has made service commitments with the DOT about what it’ll do for controllable cancellations. A controllable cancellation is one caused by the airline, such as an aircraft issue. Here’s what you can expect if there’s a long wait to get rebooked on a flight:

You’re entitled to a meal, cash for a meal, or a meal voucher when you need to wait three hours or more for a new flight. All U.S. airlines provide this.For overnight cancellations, all U.S. airlines except Frontier Airlines will provide you with complimentary hotel accommodations.If an airline sets you up with a hotel room, it will also provide complimentary ground transportation to and from the airport.

Airlines have only made these commitments for controllable cancellations. They don’t apply with uncontrollable cancellations, such as those caused by bad weather. The airline might still provide meals and hotels, and you can certainly ask. But it’s not guaranteed.

Travel insurance could cover costs the airline doesn’t

If you bought travel insurance for your trip, it will likely reimburse you for necessary expenses. For example, if you need to book a hotel and pay for a taxi to get there, you may be able to file a claim for that. Check the details of your travel insurance policy to see what’s covered and not covered.

Travel credit cards are a great way to get travel insurance. Many credit cards include complimentary travel protections, such as trip delay coverage that could reimburse you for expenses during an overnight cancellation. For credit card travel insurance to apply, you typically need to pay for the trip with the card that offers the coverage.

Make sure to get evidence for your insurance claim. Here’s what you’ll need:

Documentation of the issue: You can get this from the airline’s customer service or by taking a screenshot of your flight status showing it has been canceled.Receipts for your expenses: You’ll need a receipt for every expense you want to include in your claim.

What to do when your flight is canceled

When your flight is canceled, reach out to the airline to see what your options are. There are a few ways you can do this:

Go to the customer service counter at the airport. This is normally the easiest option, but there could be a long line depending on how many passengers have had their flights canceled.Call the airline’s customer service line. If there’s a long wait, try calling one of the airline’s international customer service lines. There probably won’t be nearly as many people calling, so you can get faster service. Representatives in other countries can still look up your reservation and get you on a new flight.Use the airline’s mobile app. It may have an alternative flight option available that you can select.

The first step is getting your canceled flight rebooked. Once you know when your new flight will depart, you can figure out your next steps. If it’s later that day, you may just need to wait around until then. Airport lounge access can come in handy in this situation.

If it’s not until the next day, then you’ll need a place to stay overnight. As mentioned earlier, the airline may set you up with a hotel room. Or, you may want to take matters into your own hands, especially if a lot of people are in the same situation. When there have been a large number of cancellations, airlines often have trouble finding accommodations for passengers. Some travelers have complained of being shuttled off to subpar hotels or even to hotels that didn’t have any rooms available.

You could book a hotel on your own, and then see if the airline or your travel insurance will reimburse you for it. If you bought travel insurance or have it through your credit card, this could be the most convenient option.

Flight cancellations are never fun, but knowing how to handle them makes a big difference. Make sure you know your rights as a passenger, take action to get your flight rebooked ASAP, and start gathering evidence if you’ll need to file a travel insurance claim.

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