US Flight Delay & Cancellation Rights: DOT Rules Explained
Quick answer
Unlike the EU, the US has no federal law guaranteeing cash compensation for a delayed flight. What you're owed instead comes from two places: a Department of Transportation (DOT) rule requiring a full refund when the airline cancels or significantly changes your flight and you decline to travel, and each airline's own published customer service plan, which sets out what it will do for delays within its control, like a free rebooking, meals or a hotel. Check the airline's plan and the DOT's comparison dashboard before you assume nothing is owed.
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Why the US works differently from the EU
EU261 sets fixed cash amounts for delays and cancellations within its scope. The US has never adopted an equivalent federal compensation schedule. Instead, the DOT relies on two mechanisms: mandatory refund rules for cancellations and significant changes, and voluntary but binding customer service commitments that every large US carrier must publish and follow. The practical effect is that what you receive can vary noticeably by airline, so it pays to know where to look.
The one guaranteed right: a refund
If your flight is cancelled or significantly changed and you decide not to travel, the airline must refund your ticket in full to your original payment method, even if the fare was marked nonrefundable. This applies whether you booked directly or through a travel agent, and the airline cannot substitute a travel credit or voucher unless you agree to it. A "significant change" generally covers a materially different departure or arrival time, a new connecting airport, or additional stops.
What counts as a "controllable" disruption
Most of the extra help — meals, hotel rooms, ground transport, rebooking on a partner airline — only kicks in for disruptions the airline itself caused, sometimes called controllable delays. Examples include a mechanical fault, a maintenance issue, or the airline running out of available crew. Disruptions blamed on weather, air traffic control, or security events are usually excluded from these voluntary commitments, even though they can feel identical from your seat.
| Situation | What's typically required |
|---|---|
| Airline cancels and you don't want to rebook | Full refund to original payment method (DOT requirement) |
| Controllable delay of 3+ hours (domestic) | Meal voucher, per the airline's own customer service plan |
| Controllable overnight delay or cancellation | Hotel and ground transport, per the airline's plan |
| Weather or air traffic control delay | Usually no guaranteed meal or hotel; ask anyway |
| Overbooked flight, denied boarding involuntarily | Separate DOT compensation rule, paid in cash |
Check the airline's own promises
Every large US carrier publishes a customer service plan describing what it commits to for delays, cancellations and lost baggage. These plans are enforceable, but they are not identical — one airline might guarantee a hotel voucher for an overnight controllable delay while another only promises to rebook you on the next available flight. The DOT's own dashboard lines these commitments up side by side, so it's worth a quick check before you fly, especially during a season prone to disruption.
Denied boarding is a separate, stronger right
If a flight is oversold and you're bumped involuntarily, that's covered by its own DOT rule with defined cash compensation tied to how long the delay to your final destination ends up being. This is distinct from a routine delay or cancellation and tends to offer the clearest, most enforceable payout of any US air travel right — so if you're asked to give up your seat, ask specifically whether it's voluntary or involuntary before you agree to anything.
What to do when it happens to you
Get a rebooking or refund decision in writing or by email rather than relying on a verbal promise at the gate. Ask directly whether the cause is being classified as controllable, since that single word determines whether meals and a hotel are owed. Keep receipts for anything you pay for yourself — meals, a hotel room, a cab — in case the airline later agrees to reimburse reasonable costs. And once you're rebooked, a live flight tracker on your new flight number will flag any further slippage before the airline updates the departure board. Track any flight live on ScanFlyGo →
Frequently asked questions
Does the US have a law like EU261 for flight delays?
No. There's no federal cash-compensation schedule. The DOT requires refunds for cancellations and significant changes when you decline to travel, and holds airlines to their own published customer service commitments for controllable delays.
Am I entitled to a hotel if my flight is cancelled in the US?
Only if the airline's customer service plan promises it, and typically only for disruptions within the airline's control, like a mechanical issue. Weather-related disruptions are usually excluded.
How do I know what a specific US airline owes me?
Check that airline's published customer service plan, or the DOT's dashboard that compares what each major carrier commits to for controllable delays and cancellations.
Can I get a refund if I just don't want to travel after a big delay?
Yes — for a significant delay or schedule change, the DOT requires a full refund to your original payment method rather than a forced voucher, even on nonrefundable fares.
The bottom line
US flight rights are narrower and more airline-dependent than EU261, but they're not nothing: you're guaranteed a refund when a cancellation or big schedule change means you'd rather not fly, and each airline owes you whatever its own customer service plan promises for delays it caused. Read that plan before your next trip, and compare fares on ScanFlyGo or browse popular routes to plan your next one with fewer surprises.
Some links on ScanFlyGo are affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Rules summarized here are general information, not legal advice; always confirm current requirements with the DOT and your airline.