Delays got you down, make sure to know your rights
Flight delays and cancellations seem to be a part of everyday life now, so it’s important to know what you are and are not entitled to. The following is a breakdown by airline on what they are willing to do or not do for the frustrations they cause you.
Before I dive in I need to say that the airlines will only provided compensation if the problem is caused by them. If the weather is bad anywhere they will claim no fault. I highly recommend you download a Flight Tracker app and a weather app on your phone before you travel. The combination of these two will allow you to see where your plane is coming from and what the weather looks like everywhere. Basically you can call the airline out on their BS because 9 times put of 10 they say it’s weather related and it’s not.
For example, last week my husband was trying to get to Kansas City from MSP. His flight was delayed by over 4 hours. They said it was bad weather. By using these two apps I was able to track his plane and then check the weather where the plane was located (it was in KC). After that I went to the KC airport website to see what other airlines were doing…guess what every other airline was taking off just fine from KC and other Delta flights were too. In summary, always have as much knowledge as possible.
So let’s get started and see who offers what and how clearly it’s laid out.
Southwest. By now everyone has heard of the Southwest Meltdown of 2022. Hopefully Southwest has learned a few things and this won’t repeat itself. If you were affected by this you can submit a claim online, upload pictures of your receipts and apply to be reimbursed. We were fully reimbursed for the cost of plane tickets, hotel room, uber, and new plane tickets. In my opinion Southwest handled this the best way they could have. Unfortunately their website is pretty vague about what they will do going forward. If they cancel your flight you will get a refund and if there is a long delay it is possible to receive travel vouchers.
Delta. Of the four airlines I researched they has the most clearcut policies. If you are delayed on the tarmac they will provide food, water and bathrooms and you will be deplaned within 3 hours (federal law for domestic flights now) or 4 hours (federal law for international flights now). If your flight is canceled they will rebook you on the next available flight at no additional cost. For delays, misconnects, and cancellations that result in being stuck overnight they will provide lodging, ground transportation and meals. Delta reps can also give out gift cards, vouchers and or SkyMiles at their discretion.
American Airlines. American Airlines had the vaguest policy that I read. The only thing that they say in clear print is if there is a delay and your plane has not boarded by 11:59pm they will arrange lodging for you. However multiple times they state that there is no guarantee to anything. And by multiple times I mean it was very redundant, they don’t want to be on the hook for anything.
United Airlines. On Untied’s app there is a way to see if you qualify for any compensation. Unfortunately, their website doesn’t explain exactly how to find that or what to do if you don’t have their app. However they do have a pretty easy to read Bill of Rights page. It states that if the delay is more than 2 hours you are entitled to meals and 2 phone calls (this may not have been updated in the last 20 years). If your flight is delayed 5-8 hours you get a 1 night stay in a hotel and 8 hours or more they will also feed you.
Unfortunately in the US there are no federal laws regarding compensation for delays or cancelled flights. The only laws that exist say that you can’t sit on the tarmac indefinitely. It is up to each individual airline to decide what they are willing to do for their customers. Most airlines will refund your ticket charge (or the unused part of the ticket) if they cancel the flight and you don’t rebook with them on a different flight. A very important thing to note is that you can’t decide for yourself to book a hotel room or get a car until the airline says they are willing to reimburse you, otherwise you are out that money. Lastly remember that kindness goes a long way and the person you are dealing with had zero control over your flight.