Flight delay compensation in the US
Start with the part nobody wants to hear
There is no US law that makes an airline pay you cash for a delay. The European rule people have heard about — up to €600 — is EU law, and it does not apply to a domestic US flight. What US rules give you is refunds, and only in defined situations. Any site telling you that you are "owed compensation" for a late domestic flight is selling something.
What you are actually entitled to
1. An automatic refund when the airline cancels or significantly changes your flight
Under the Department of Transportation's refund rule, if the airline cancels or significantly changes your flight and you decline the alternative it offers, you are owed a refund of the unused portion — automatically, without asking, in the original form of payment. Not a voucher, unless you choose one.
A "significant change" is defined, not left to the airline:
- Domestic flights: departure or arrival moves by more than 3 hours
- International flights: more than 6 hours
- Your departure or arrival airport changes
- Connections are added
- You are downgraded to a lower class of service
- The aircraft changes to one that is less accessible for a passenger with a disability
Note what this does not cover: a flight that simply arrives late and takes you where you were going. If you flew, you flew.
2. Refund timing
Seven business days for a credit card purchase; twenty calendar days for cash, cheque or other methods, counted from when the airline receives a complete request.
3. Baggage fees back if the bag is late
If your checked bag is not delivered within 12 hours of a domestic flight's arrival (15–30 hours for international, depending on flight length), the checked-bag fee is refundable — but you must file a mishandled baggage report first.
4. Fees for services you did not get
Paid for wifi, seat selection or in-flight entertainment that did not work or was not provided? That fee is refundable.
What about meals and hotels?
These are not required by law. They come from each airline's own published customer service commitments, which apply when the delay or cancellation is controllable — a maintenance or crew problem, rather than weather or air traffic control. The DOT publishes a dashboard comparing what each airline has committed to. Those commitments are enforceable once made, so it is worth checking your airline's before you accept a voucher.
When European rules do apply to you
EC 261 covers any flight departing an EU airport, on any airline, and flights arriving in the EU operated by an EU airline. Where it applies, the amounts are fixed by distance — roughly €250, €400 or €600 — and are triggered by an arrival delay of three hours or more, cancellation with less than fourteen days' notice, or denied boarding.
It does not pay out for "extraordinary circumstances", which in practice means most weather, air traffic control strikes and security incidents. A US–Europe flight is covered on the outbound leg from Europe, and on the inbound leg only if you are flying an EU carrier.
Which US airlines cancel most
From the federal on-time record, February 2026 – July 2026. A cancellation is the event that actually triggers a refund right, so this is the number worth knowing before you book.
| Airline | Cancelled | Flights | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norse Atlantic Airways | 100% | 1 | — |
| Kuwait Airways | 10.56% | 2,311 | F |
| PSA Airlines | 6.89% | 20,871 | F |
| Gulf Air | 5.78% | 2,926 | D |
| Aurigny | 4.39% | 16,308 | F |
| Finnair | 4.19% | 7,943 | D |
How to claim, in order
- Keep the boarding pass, the booking confirmation and any message the airline sent you. The times in those messages are the evidence.
- Ask the airline directly first, in writing, through its own refund form. Almost every valid claim is resolved here.
- If it is refused and you believe the rule applies, file a complaint with the DOT's Aviation Consumer Protection division. It is free.
- Claim companies take a cut, typically a quarter to a third. They are worth considering only for an EC 261 claim an airline has already refused — never for a US refund you can request yourself in five minutes.
This page explains published rules; it is not legal advice, and rules change. Confirm current thresholds with the US Department of Transportation before relying on them. AirlineGrades is independent and is not affiliated with any airline or agency.