Here’s What You Need to Know About Compensation For Flight Cancellations
In 2023 alone, there were a reported 87,900 major flight cancellations in the United States. This equates to nearly 241 cancellations per day. On its own, traveling can be a stressful process. From damaged luggage to organizing plans, canceled flights are one of the only things that can derail a trip. Especially in the wake of the infamous Crowdstrike Outage, people are extra cautious about booking flights from reliable companies. Regardless of their preparation, mishaps and random events do occur, often leaving people stranded at the airport. Today, we will consider a viral clip of a plane cancellation while considering the question: How do you get compensation for flight cancellations?
Passengers Left Without Any Compensation After Cancellation
In this clip circulating the web, an airline worker informs a group of travelers about the status of their flights. The worker tells the crowd of anticipating travelers that their flights have all been canceled due to uncontrollable causes.
Regarding their changed plans, he adds that there will be “no hotel vouchers and no food vouchers.” The cancellations reportedly stem from a computer failure or outage within the airline’s systems. As he finishes his statement, confusion and frustration spread among the crowd. As he walks away, people begin to ask him questions, feeling stranded without any assistance from the airline.
Is the airline allowed to simply cancel without compensation? Could the travelers have sought out compensation for their flight cancellations?
New Laws Regarding Compensation for Flight Cancellations
In April of 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration released new requirements regarding compensation for flight cancellations. Under their rules, airlines must provide adequate compensation in several different scenarios:
- Cancellations and significant delays. If a passenger’s flight gets canceled or significantly delayed, they have the right to receive proper compensation in cash. The term “significant” applies to situations like 3-hour domestic delays or 6-hour international delays. In other cases, “significant delays” may refer to downgrades, changes in connection numbers or locations, or altered flight arrivals.
- Delayed baggage returns. Changes in flight time and location, baggage delays, and damage can also halt a traveler’s trip. Under the new airline rules, airlines must refund checked-bag fees if they do not return domestic bags within 12 hours of arrival or international bags within 15 to 30 hours of arrival.
- Denial of extra services. If passengers pay a fee for services such as wifi, they deserve a refund if those services are not provided.
In the past, the absence of apparent rules gave airlines the final say in the compensation for flight cancellations. In many situations, this left passengers with canceled flights and no alternative plans to stay elsewhere during their travel delay. Likewise, this left many with hundreds to thousands of dollars lost per canceled flight.
Under the new Biden-Harris Administration rules, airlines must issue automatic refunds in cash or through the original payment method. They must also adhere to the guidelines that define a “significant” delay.
Do Airlines Commonly Give Compensation?
If you find yourself facing a flight cancellation or delay, there are several steps you can take. First, remember that each airline sets its own rules regarding delays and cancellations. For example, some airlines automatically provide free meals and hotel vouchers during delays, while others may require you to submit a formal reimbursement request.
Airlines do not have to issue refunds or reimbursements if travelers face cancellations or delays caused by factors outside the airline’s control. Fortunately, only a few situations, such as inclement weather, fall into this category. Therefore, issues like failed computer systems, improper baggage handling, and other mismanagement situations remain the airline’s responsibility.
How to Get Compensation for Flight Cancellations
Thus, if you are affected by any delays caused by computer outages, such as the delay in the video above, you are fully entitled to proper compensation in the form of cash. According to major airline commentators such as Erika Kullberg, there are a few things you should do to get compensation for a flight cancellation. Some of the most important steps include:
- Check if the delay qualifies for compensation. If the airline doesn’t specify the reason for the delay, ask an associate for more details. As mentioned, delays beyond their control do not fall under instant reimbursement rules.
- Catalog your receipts and losses. In addition to saving your airline fare receipt, you should catalog any losses you experienced due to the outages. Depending on your airline, you can include hotels and other expenditures at your destination in your reimbursement request.
- Submit a formal request and keep communication open. Following the delay, submit a formal request for reimbursement through your airline’s proper channels. Although reimbursement should be “instant” under the new flight rules, airlines usually aren’t hasty to hand out refunds.
- Consider travel delay insurance or credit card flight insurance before your trip. You can acquire third-party refunds if you purchase flight or credit card travel insurance. Similar to obtaining airline refunds, particular criteria often apply to your situation based on your credit card or policy.
Summary
At the end of the day, delays and cancellations are simply a facet of airlines in America. Even with the best planning and infrastructure, freak storms can derail our travel plans. In most situations, airlines are responsible for compensating you or assisting you with finding a new flight to catch. With the help of new rules outlined by the Biden-Harris Administration, airlines have an increasing responsibility to help when you face a cancellation. Regardless, you must know your rights and how to acquire your refunds.