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These ten large U.S. airlines and their regional operating partners, which operate flights for them but do not sell tickets, account for approximately 96 percent of the domestic scheduled passenger air traffic.
Use the above dashboard to learn about the amenities that the U.S. airline that you are flying on has promised to provide should there be a controllable flight cancellation or delay. You can also use the dashboard to compare amenities that the airlines commit to provide in the event of a controllable flight cancellation or delay when deciding which airline to fly.
A controllable flight cancellation or delay is essentially a delay or cancellation caused by the airline. Examples include: maintenance or crew problems; cabin cleaning; baggage loading; and fueling.
Airlines are required to adhere to the promises that they make in their customer service plan, including commitments to care for customers in the event of controllable delays or cancellations. The Departmentwill hold airlines accountable if they fail to do so.
Remember these commitments do not impact your entitlement to a refund. If an airline cancels a passenger’s flight or makes a significant change in the flight, regardless of the reason, airlines are required to provide a prompt refund to a ticketed passenger, including those with non-refundable tickets, should the passenger choose not to accept the alternative offered, such as rebooking on another flight. Learn more about your right to a refund.If you have a problem obtaining a refund that you believe that you are entitled to receive, you may file a complaint with the DOT.If you are an airline passenger with a disability looking for more information regarding your rights during air travel,please follow this link to our disability webpage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I entitled to money or other compensation beyond a refund from an airline if my flight is significantly delayed or cancelled?
- Each airline has its own policies about what it will do for delayed or cancelled passengers. If an airline has made a commitment to provide a particular service or compensation, then the Department can hold the airline accountable. The Airline Customer Service Dashboard provides a summary of the commitments made by U.S. airlines to mitigate passenger inconveniences for controllable delays and cancellations.
- If your flight is experiencing a long delay or is cancelled, ask airline staff if they will pay for meals or a hotel room or compensate you for your time. While some airlines offer these amenities to passengers, others may not provide amenities to stranded passengers. The Department has initiated a rulemaking that would require airlines to provide compensation and cover certain expenses such as meals and hotels when the airline causes the flight disruption.
When and how do I find out how long my flight will be delayed or cancelled?
- Airlines are required to provide passengers with information about a change in the status of the flight in various ways in a timely manner.
- If the flight is scheduled to depart within 7 days, airlines are required to provide status updates 30 minutes (or sooner) after the airline becomes aware of a status change. The flight status information must, at a minimum, be provided on the airline's website and by the airline's telephone reservation system. Also, the airline must update all flight status displays and other sources of flight information at U.S. airports that are under the airline's control within 30 minutes after the airline becomes aware of the problem.
- For travel itinerary changes involving passengers whose flights are scheduled more than a week in the future, notification should be provided to the passengers as soon as practical. A specific timeframe or method for providing that information has not been set forth in law.
Why are flights sometimes delayed for several hours or cancelled?
- While airlines want to get passengers to their destinations on time, problems like bad weatherand mechanical issues can and sometimes do make it difficult for flights to arrive on time or result in flights being cancelled.
- When there are delays, it is sometimes difficult for an airline to estimate how long a delay will be during its early stages. When a flight delay unexpectedly becomes longer and longer, this is called a “creeping delay.” During “creeping delays,” unexpected developments can cause a delay to be longer than anticipated. For example, weather that was supposed to improve can instead become worse, or a mechanical problem can turn out to be more complex than the airline originally thought.
See below for detailed information about airline customer service commitment plans.
Airlines' Customer Service Plans
Last updated: Sunday, May 7, 2023
