US airlines are now required to refund you for a canceled flight automatically

[Possum]

• It's about time. Now more in line with EU rules. They have to automatically refund due to weather delays too.
•  
• The U.S. Department of Transportation's new refund rule for air travelers mandates automatic refunds for significantly delayed or canceled flights.
• Domestic flights delayed by three hours or more and international flights delayed by six hours or more qualify for a full refund.
• Airlines must issue refunds within seven days for credit card purchases and 20 days for other forms of payment.
• The rule also requires refunds for checked bag fees if luggage is not delivered within a specified timeframe, as well as for non-functional or unavailable paid services like Wi-Fi.

The Department of Transportation's new refund rule for air travelers is now fully in effect.

If your flight is canceled or delayed by more than three hours for a domestic itinerary, or six hours for an international itinerary, you're automatically entitled to a refund.

“Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them - without headaches or haggling,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement when the regulation was announced this spring. “Our new rule sets a new standard to require airlines to promptly provide cash refunds to their passengers.”

Some parts of the DOT's new rule went into effect as early as May when the Federal Aviation Administration's funding was reauthorized, but some of the provisions had a longer lead time for implentation. Buttigieg underscored what the new rules would mean for travelers and airlines in a letter to aviation executives in July.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2024/10/28/new-refund-rules-for-delayed-and-canceled-flights/75837222007/

Edited October 30 by Possum
add URL

[Lee]

Has the airline refund policy become an issue in recent years?

In 2010, we were to fly to Europe when the Iceland volcanoes blew up and shut down European air travel. The day before we were to leave, the airline called and asked if we wanted to reschedule our flights, a credit, or a refund. I said refund and it was done.

If you are stuck in an airport because of flight delays aren't you apt to get on the next available fight anyway even if its several hours later? This would make the automatic refund policy based on the length of your delay a bit irrelevant wouldn't it?

Seems like to me that this is almost a solution looking for a problem. IDK

[GeoffH]

12 minutes ago, Lee said:

Seems like to me that this is almost a solution looking for a problem. IDK

For high volume routes with regular flights sure, but for lower volume routes with few flights it's not so clear cut IMO.

A few years ago I was booked on a flight with a small airline which was cancelled, they offered (as the only option) to rebook me on the next available flight.

The problem was I was going to a 2 day conference and the next available flight with space was in... 2 days (only 1 flight per day by that carrier on that route).

And my return flight wasn't able to be altered so I'd get there, sleep 1 night in the hotel I'd already paid 3 nights for then next morning go to the airport and fly home.

No other 'solution' was available according the airline staff.

 

If the regulations avoid situations like mine then what's the harm in it?

 

Edited October 30 by GeoffH

[hk blues]

9 minutes ago, Lee said:

Seems like to me that this is almost a solution looking for a problem. IDK

I'm not sure there doesn't exist a problem. 

In certain cases a delay of even 3 hours would render the flight pointless and as such a refund would be the only reasonable option for the traveller.  Would they have automatically and easily got one under the "old" rules?  

[Possum]

I have had many times when a delayed or cancelled flight really screwed up meetings, hotel reservations etc. If I knew I could get a refund I would have bought a ticket on another airline and gone on my way. So yes this has been a problem. Though the airlines were told to offer a refund they rarely did, they only offered another flight. They refused to give a refund for a weather delay, ever. Now they have to if requested. It's a good move. The only people complaining about this change were the airlines which tell me something.

[OnMyWay]

5 hours ago, Lee said:

Has the airline refund policy become an issue in recent years?

In 2010, we were to fly to Europe when the Iceland volcanoes blew up and shut down European air travel. The day before we were to leave, the airline called and asked if we wanted to reschedule our flights, a credit, or a refund. I said refund and it was done.

 

Above it mentioned "more in line with EU rules".  Maybe your flight fell under the EU rules?

My sister came for a visit with me in Germany during the volcanoes, and got stuck with me for an extra week.  She didn't mind so she was just rebooked.

[Joey G]

14 hours ago, Possum said:

The Department of Transportation's new refund rule for air travelers is now fully in effect.

If your flight is canceled or delayed by more than three hours for a domestic itinerary, or six hours for an international itinerary, you're automatically entitled to a refund.

“Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them - without headaches or haggling,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement when the regulation was announced this spring. “Our new rule sets a new standard to require airlines to promptly provide cash refunds to their passengers.”

For the vast majority of flyers they just want to get where they are going.  If the airline can accommodate them on a different or even delayed flight, and the flyers accepts that... no refund is happening.  But let's say the flyer is mad about it, doesn't want the airlines assistance and demands the refund... OK great, you get a refund (20 days later)... in the mean time they still want to go where they need to go... now, see how much a new ticket costs when they buy it from another airline that close to a departure date.

Airlines don't cancel or delay flights because they want to... and offering refunds is fine... but don't think the airlines (and their stockholders) are going to lose any money on this... they will factor any additional costs into the cost of a ticket... and everyone will pay.

With all that said... this reminds me of an old saying... "rules are required when common sense doesn't prevail".  

 

[hk blues]

9 hours ago, Joey G said:

With all that said... this reminds me of an old saying... "rules are required when common sense doesn't prevail".  

I Like this.