Flight Cancellation Secrets Airlines DON’T Want You To Know

Flight Cancelled or Delayed? Learn essential steps to rebook your canceled flight quickly OR get a full refund in this comprehensive flight cancellation guide. Click "show more" to see ad disclosure.
Stay tuned for BREAKING NEWS on the DOT's "Final Rule" on Airline Cancellations.
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⏰ Timecodes ⏰
0:00 What to do if your flight is cancelled
0:30 How to Get a Full Refund on Flights in the USA
1:20 New U.S. Rules on Cash Refunds for Canceled Flights
4:01 EU Cancelled Flight Compensation
4:46 How to Deal With a Flight Cancellation
6:53 Delayed Flight Compensation
9:05 How to Claim Flight Delay or Cancellation Compensation
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#usdepartmentoftransportation #flightrefunds #delayedbaggage

[@terripebsworth9623]

The fact that passengers within the United States are just now being given normal consumer rights is shocking. We've had those obvious consumer rights in Asia for years, along with excellent full service (even in economy) and very rarely delayed flights - usually only due to a typhoon. Flying within the US is so horrible that renting a car and just driving is a better option and sometimes even faster.

[@mikeshaw4610]

How is 7 days immediate. It should be the next day.

[@lillievalentine8800]

"Don't be a jerk" Best advice ever. If your ticket is partially used when the delay or cancellation occurs, and you are not going to travel on that ticket, take the refund not a credit every time. Fare restrictions on partially used tickets can be a beast and it is just easier to get the refund.

[@jacobwardell6432]

Agreed. "Don't be a jerk" is excellent advice, for traveling and also for life in general. 🙂

[@MrCougar214]

Apparently there is a lack of definition for the word "Prompt" also. 7 days for cc users and 20 days for all other payment methods isnt what I would call prompt considering they waste no time charging you that very minute. Yeah, I know. They always use the excuse of it taking time because the refund is being issued between multiple banking institutions. But everything is digital these days. There is no excuse for a refund to take that long anymore.

[@jasondrisko4154]

Please note that American Airlines no longer has an alliance with JetBlue. Alaska Airlines is the only domestic partner airline for American now.

[@LeannaRuthJensen]

Booking trips with "wiggle room" has really helped me. If you give yourself a couple days after your trip before you have to be back at work you not only have time to decompress and do laundry but it gives you options in these situations. I once got an extra free day of vacation when an airline asked for volunteers to be bumped to the next day (meals, hotel and first class flight the next day).

[@chuckinhouston9952]

Great plan!

[@bobjuniel8683]

Show us your wiggle, Leanne 😊

[@stevengoomba6490]

I work as a gate agent and this is a really informative video on the topic. I wish more passengers stayed updated about policy changes regarding delays and cancellations, specially these past few weeks with inclement weather. I understand the frustration with air travel believe me, but most of the time I don’t have the power to fix a flight issue, let alone accommodate every disgruntled customer.

[@constancepeterson6156]

Steve, I wasn’t a disgruntled passenger when my flight was delayed for 4 hours. I was in-despair. My identical twin sister was dying, I was desperately trying to see her one last time. I didn’t yell or become rude to the agents because knew they had no control over delayed flights, I just wanted to change to another flight. My sister died two hours after I should have been by her side. I was still sitting in the airport waiting. Steve your attitude about us being disgruntled passengers, might be because we are in a situation you do not know. We aren’t not disgruntled at all, but in deep pain, worried, frustrated, confused, etc. The flight attendant who was so kind to me once I was on my flight, still touches my heart. Her kindness, made the worse day of my life, easier.

[@deanneneves8392]

DOT. Great information. Well presented. Thank you!

[@patricianichols8546]

DOT. I appreciate the video. Thank you.

[@redhatbear1135]

I’d expect that partial used ticket is deducted at current price and one way. We need the tickets to show the cost of each leg!

[@xolobester]

Thank you! DOT

[@catherinecronk6671]

Thanks for the information! Dot

[@carolfouch7510]

Thank you, DOT

[@jodiehebert8285]

Thanks for the info!

[@itgirl_nyc]

A few months ago I was flying with my mom on United and our flight was just delayed, I lost count. How many times. We were at the airport about 13 hours. United get any new vouchers until I asked and I got one but my mom didn’t so I had to chase them for Hertz. They should’ve canceled the flight but they keep delaying it. The last delay was close to midnight. Well, we’re about to board you saw the crew including the captain getting off the plane. I found out the pilot couldn’t fly because it was over his working hours because he was stuck at the airport with us waiting for a plane. United knew the schedule of the pilot. United knew when the plane came in the pilot has it’s exhausted his working hours and cannot fly that plane so why didn’t they get another pilot while we were waiting for that plane? This is like 12 hours half of the original departure time. Thankfully me and my mom could go back to my sister‘s house because we were told to go to another terminal speak with customer service. The line was super long because the whole plane was full of passengers who now need a flight in the city looking to rebook their flight, and/or to get a hotel for a night. My mother is 87. She was exhausted. We had been waiting in the airport about entire day. We went back to my sister’s house without re-booking or our luggage. I woke up and found United had rebooked us on a different flight that day that doesn’t work for us. So I had to spend hours waiting online and then finally talking to someone to rebook our flights. We also have to return to the airport to fetch our luggage. United did not offer any compensation after treating us so poorly at the airport for an entire day. I also did not automatically receive a refund. I was told I have to file a complaint and asked for a refund. That was the worst travel experience in my life and I have traveled all around the world. Big big failure on part from United.

[@umafitzcharles]

Thank you for posting this! Feel so sorry for your experience😢

[@user-tl2vp1eu1w]

No United for me. At O’Hare, after checking in they started changing our flight. We’re trying to make sure luggage will follow.. They said it would. Changed flight again and ended up with a stop in San Fran before the flight home. Guess what, no luggage. Too late for food etc in SF as the airport was shut down. Couldn’t leave because you’d be denied access. Slept on airport floor. Said our luggage would be on flight. Get to Vancouver, connect to flight home. No luggage and didn’t see it for 2 weeks. NO UNITED ever. On top of it the cabin people were soooo rude. Horrid experience. This was July 2011 and there some mergers happening but that’s no excuse as far as I’m concerned. Especially the rudeness throughout.

[@Roses-lilac]

I’ve had a similar nightmare experience with United which included delayed and eventually cancelled flight, lost luggage, had to fight for a hotel voucher. Refusal to refund me. United are the pits!

[@jacobwardell6432]

Reading your story (and many other stories) has convinced me to avoid United Airlines if at all possible.

[@acmikso]

DOT thank you for your great travel videos!

[@kezw6554]

Very helpful information, thank you. Also, if you use the chat option in the airline app, it's a quick way to get answers and results. I have found this with the Delta Airlines app. The wait time is usually minimal.

[@davidlean8674]

For Frequent flyers US airlines have ben good for years. In 1992, while flying to Australia to LAX. I was delayed & missed my flight. They rebooked me on another that left 30 mins later but went via Hawai. When we landed at Hawaii the airline told me that the leg from Hawai to LAX was overbooked & I didn't fit. So they offered me first-class LAX via SFO and a free night in a hotel as I'd missed my connecting flight to Miami. It was a seriously comfortable flight.

[@Buffmafia84]

Nice, helpful. Finally! DOT

[@rosemariemassey7480]

Great info. DOT😊

[@bibibachmd9995]

Thank you for all the info. Recently a flight from MIA to DEN was a controllable cancelation on American Airlines necessitating an overnight stay.. They do not want to give a hotel refund. With your info and the DOT I have the law on my side. I will file a complaint if needed.

[@sc100ott]

3:30: “All of this is great news for consumers.” Well, as long as we all don’t mind paying more. Large airline companies have dozens of accountants and actuaries calculating how much these regulations will cost the company, and they will adjust prices accordingly. Just so everyone is clear on this.

[@colleenmarin8907]

They've already been raising prices all along, price increases have been and will remain a certainty

[@chuckinhouston9952]

Correct. This is true of any company in any industry. Nothing is free.

[@torikallas4422]

DOT please. Thank you for posting this

[@Randilynn66]

I booked a flight to Sydney Australia. In. June of 2023, the flight was leaving February 2024. I had to cancel because I broke my ankle period I was told that I only had 4 months to use the almost $8000 credit sense. The credit is only good for a year.From date of booking . that rule was recently changed.And now it's a year from date of cancellation on American. I do have a yearly policy.And I was dismayed to see that I only had five thousand dollars for trip cancellation period thankfully I charged the cruise on my chase preferred and they will pick up the rest.

[@drphibesrises]

This is great information. Thanks for sharing. "DOT" for sure. Many people just accept what they are told. That makes them more frustrated than they need to be. Having this knowledge will empower consumers and make their flights less stressful.

[@kathywygant8866]

DOT Great video!

[@pamnperry6688]

DOT. Thank you! ❤

[@rajun1231]

Very informative, as usual. DOT, please.

[@secretariatgirl4249]

DOT great info about Europe!

[@everettclark6632]

wow thanks

[@mariekatherine5238]

Spent eight days, seven nights in airport in Istanbul during Covid, beginning of lockdowns, so couldn’t leave the airport! FINALLY got a flight to Frankfort, then to Manchester, stop in London, then L.A., then New York. Bus to Jamaica Queens, then actually walked the remaining five miles! Was a relief to be outdoors, breathing fresh air!

[@fstarr9923]

DOT Thank you!

[@JoeMango]

DOT. Does this also include flights bought through a third party. Such as Expedia or from a credit card company? Thanks

[@SausalitoVicki]

DOT, thanks!

[@kevinsteele6799]

What is the effective date for these new provisions?

[@cgpark5027]

I helped a friend bound for either Miami or Fort Lauderdale airports stranded at the airport in NOLA. The next flt was by Frontier to Orlando. I bought her ticket plus check in baggage thinking she can book another flt onwards. However, I didn't realize that Frontier doesn't fly to MIA or FLL. I get it that their fare is highly restricted but check in baggage fee is non refundable. I wonder why when a suitcase has no allocated space

[@constancepeterson6156]

Our flight was cancelled the afternoon before we were scheduled to depart. To get a flight out we had to book at another airport. When we were finally on the plane, others who were on the originally flight, said were in their hotels when they received the cancellation notice . They had to change hotels because they now were in the wrong city. I spent two hours on the phone, to get a returned flight in the airport we left our car. Then on the way back the airlines wanted us to pay $200.00 each more for our seats. A supervisor was called and we had to explain, again, about the cancelled flight. 45 minutes later we received our boarding passes and did not have Incurred the extra $400.00 expensive. However, it was overwhelming how much of a problem it was having our flight cancelled in the first place.

[@elizabethlarsen9233]

DOT thanks

[@TM-ui9gt]

DOT and thank you

[@tammyjohnson6822]

Do you know how they are going to value each leg of the trip? You could conceivably end up with very little refund if they value the first leg of your trip considerably higher than 1/2 the price, assuming you are being delayed at your layover airport.

[@awaytogether]

Each flight has a monetary value when you purchased it. I will be interested to see how this actually looks when it rolls out, but my understanding is your refund will be prorated according to the actual monetary values from time of purchase of what has been used/unused.

[@jen-tech_challenged]

Does this apply to those of use who had tickets at the beginning of Covid (May 2019) who got vouchers but we were still in Covid and the destination had mandatory shelter in place for 7 days? I couldn’t even get an extension so it expired.

[@jesselpable2763]

If you book your flight using points do you get reimbursed back with points or cash if your flight is cancelled?

[@jennifergilman2352]

DOT Question: Any advice for working with bookings through Expedia? What if only one of the flights was changed, can you cancel the whole thing? ...

[@kathygann7632]

The Allegiant flight from LAX to Bellingham only flys 2-3 times per WEEK.

[@mmssocialmedia]

DOT Please

[@t_cheating8239]

Sometimes if you look up sleeping in airports you may find out you can sleep there at tge hotel by booking with them.

[@michaelfalk6406]

Do you know if the new new flight compensation cancellation rules apply to airline employees flying standby

[@njoynature123]

One day during the beginning of Spring Break out of Dallas to Cancun. Every flight was overbooked and they asked for volunteers. Because there was a flight out every two hours, and because our original flight was early morning. Our group of three got 6k in vouchers each and we eventually were last flight out of Dallas. It was fun! Only hiccup. The transport to our hotel had to be awakened from bed to drive us 2 hours to our resort at midnight. We also only had one year to use all vouchers and it was a fun year of travel the next 12 months.

[@tammyjohnson6822]

DOT please

[@patriciachirgwin3238]

DOT please!

[@ropro9817]

DOT, please! 🙏

[@davemihalic256]

DOT TNX! Also, recently we encountered this: the flight had a mechanical, they had to fly in another plane, but they kept the FLIGHT NUMBER but simply changed the expected time -- thus, delayed an hour, then two hours, then five hours. Thus, in the "system" it was not "cancelled," simply delayed. But we couldn't get booked on other airlines even though available to the destination.

[@timoakes450]

YOU have the right to be endorsed over to another IATA carrier =GO

[@timoakes450]

WAs it South West - NOT in IATA

[@davemihalic256]

@@timoakes450 It was a major, not SWA

[@danaebuczacki4885]

DoT

[@vilmaramos2348]

Let's say I got a flight from j f k to Philippine Manila On Korean air with a stop in Korea. But I will lose my connection because the plane is delayed. Do they have do pay me for a free meal? And do I get cash back? Or will they put me on a different airline like Delta? Please let me know.

[@chellahwai1824]

How about if only one leg was cancelled?

[@terryschima4964]

DOT

[@DunRovinRanch-1969]

Wait. I’m confused. What if I’m wearing my merino wool tee shirt? You didn’t say anything about your merino wool tee shirt.

[@KnownAsLeo]

So what if I purchased a ticket with a foreign carrier (i.e. Singapore Airlines) via a third party on SkyScanner for a flight from a SE Asia airport going to a US destination (LAX or SFO). Would these protections apply if there was more than a 6 hour delay or a cancellation?

[@AL5520]

The video mentions that those rules will apply to flight to, from or inside the US and such rules should apply to all carriers (if not it will be discriminatory toward local us carriers) and that's how it works in other places. That said, you should always check if there is a similar law/regulations in the other country as it might provide better compensation (although from a quick search there is no similar law in Singapore). If it's a flight to an EU/EEA country the EU law is far more extensive and in case of a cancellation or long delays you'll might be eligible, in addition to a full refund or an alternative flight, to compensation of up to 600€ and other countries (like the UK or Israel) have pretty similar laws to the EU one.

[@pauladuncanadams1750]

YES! DOT. 😎 ❤️😊Absolutely. Thanks 🙏

[@candaceobuge5999]

DOT PLEASE 👍🏼

[@TysonBaldassare]

DOT😢

[@steveandrews6280]

DOTplease

[@melekala4153]

DOT please. TIA

[@robinperronjones5024]

The entire airline industry needs radical changes. The entire pre flight, flight, and post flight experience is more than frustrating unless you have a private jet. They’re are so many changes that need to be introduced that it will take years to solve.

[@robinperronjones5024]

I would add to my previous comment, that airlines and airports in 2024 do not really appreciate, understand or care at all what passengers endure from when they arrive at the airport to when they leave another airport at their final destination. This mode of transport should be a slick effortless experience

[@gomez2724]

You can blame stu*id people for a lot of this....don't understand security (seems everyone is a "first time traveler"), oversized/weight "carry on" bag that has to be crammed into an overhead bin, rude and obnoxious in flight etc etc...

[@robinperronjones5024]

@@gomez2724 You are correct, however the flying experience offered by airlines, the supporting authorities, overkill regulations and resulting costs has deteriorated over the decades, this has prompted passengers to cut corners on numerous levels adding to the problems.

[@08elk1954]

DOT!

[@alexwaynemiller]

Breaking news!! ✈️ ❤

[@elainemilligan6477]

I always try to not take the last flight of the day. That way there will usually be another flight.

[@kathyspencer3292]

Dot

[@LU-jo2jz]

Where Ryanair is flying there united does not! Why do you compare them?

[@atlargenews7732]

What happens if this happens during your connecting flight and a portion of the flights has been used? Are they responsible for flying you back to your airport of origin if you no longer wish to proceed to the final destination? Will you still get a full refund plus meals and rooms due to a significant delay or cancellation?

[@minji8690]

Airlines need to compensate for time off work and any monetary loses the customer gets docked when a flight is cancelled. People have lost PTO work hour$ and destination lodging fees. Few people fly with flexible days to bum off and do nothing. Just like the airlines, we all have plans and things to do.

[@JB-gr6om]

If you are leaving on the first flight of the day and your flight is cancelled you probably will make another flight that day, but if you are on the last flight of the day…

[@509Jedi]

DOT!🎉

[@BubblyinUSA2010]

DOT😊

[@tatersalad5149]

With DEI in high gear in the airline industry, perhaps you ought to rethink the need for flying altogether.

[@lydiawilson2723]

I think this is great, but most of the time, we just want to get to where we are going. Soooo, we bypass the refund option and pray they can put us on another flight

[@vickikomer4559]

DOT! 🥰

[@carolynnmathisen8754]

It’s about time

[@StephenBachofen]

DIT

[@jeffdo9195]

Not for “any reason” if not airlines fault IE weather etc does not apply

[@KevinRathke]

👍

[@LU-jo2jz]

What is new here???

[@LU-jo2jz]

Ha ha , you can make case your self!

[@laneschaefer1883]

DOT, flying to Europe in 4 weeks!

[@bernardmueller5676]

17 Dollar Ryanair flight - meeeeh, you haven't been flying for a long, long time, right?

[@awaytogether]

Ah $14 even better. www.google.com/travel/flights/search?tfs=CBwQAhosEgoyMDI0LTA1LTI1MgJGUmoMCAISCC9tLzA5ZjNjcgwIAxIIL20vMDU0cndAAUgBcAGCAQsI____________AZgBAg&hl=en&gl=us&curr=USD

[@billyhomeyer7414]

I don’t fly

[@williambo5989]

hopefully i dont have to cancel i want to vacation

[@HGills]

Does the EU261 rule include compensation if the flight has been booked using reward points ?

[@monikaliebold4225]

Yes, it does. You have to point out compensation exactly due to EU261 at airline. Within my family it was the case, but you have really consist on EU261.

[@JA-tw8pv]

dot

[@margaretmuenchau5450]

D O T

[@angeltobit878]

Cancel VS. Cancelled spelling. I think the one “L” is meant for the culture - cancel culture

[@elnamayberry]

I really hope Canada imposes these new regulations too!

[@annawesson5263]

I would be more concerned with DEI pilots.

[@g.t.g1111]

DOT USA

[@teresaanderson6370]

thanks. Dot

[@sonyaphillips4027]

DOT🤗👏🏼👍🏽

[@martin3064]

Please clarify, it is not the same to fly on the best airlines, as on the cheap ones, they are not going to give you anything, read the fine print before buying a ticket and pay attention to what you are saying.

[@AL5520]

Official government rules/laws applies to all airlines.

[@martin3064]

No Sr you wrong

[@TonySelyem]

DOT. TY

[@fireun72]

Thank you! DOT

[@clasinajput2025]

DOT. Thank you!