Your rights depend on where your flight departs and how long you've been delayed

The money or services you receive for a flight delay are not the same everywhere. If your flight departs from a U.S. airport, the airline's obligations are set by the Department of Transportation and are relatively limited. If your flight departs from Europe, the rules are much stricter and airlines must pay you compensation in cash. If you're flying from Canada, Australia, or other countries, different rules explore again. The first step is identifying which rules govern your flight based on where it took off.

Airlines are never required to compensate you for delays under U.S. law, even if the delay is their fault. What they must do is provide meals, hotel rooms, and rebooking on another flight if the delay is long enough. The specific triggers depend on the length of the delay and whether the airline caused it or whether it was weather, air traffic control, or a mechanical issue.

Key Takeaways

  • U.S. airlines must provide meals and hotel rooms for delays over three hours, but are not required to pay cash compensation for any delay.
  • European airlines must pay between €250 and €600 in cash compensation for delays of three hours or more at your final destination, with limited exceptions for extraordinary circumstances.
  • The airline's obligation to feed and house you applies only if the delay is within their control; weather and air traffic delays do not trigger these requirements.
  • You should request meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and rebooking in writing or through the airline's app to create a record of what you asked for.
  • If an airline refuses to pay what you are owed, you can file a complaint with the Department of Transportation (U.S.) or the national aviation authority in your country.

What U.S. airlines must provide for delays

Under Department of Transportation rules, a U.S. airline must provide meals and hotel rooms if your flight is delayed more than three hours and the delay is caused by something within the airline's control. "Within the airline's control" means mechanical problems, crew scheduling, maintenance, or overbooking—not weather, air traffic control decisions, or security issues at the airport.

The airline must offer you a meal voucher for food, a hotel room if the delay extends into the night, and ground transportation between the airport and hotel. If your flight is delayed overnight, the airline must also provide two phone calls, emails, or internet access. If the airline cannot get you to your destination within 12 hours of your original arrival time, they must offer you a refund of your ticket price instead of rebooking you on another flight.

The catch: the airline only has to provide these things if you ask. If you sit in the airport and say nothing, the airline has no obligation to offer you a meal or a room. Request these services in person at the gate, through the airline's customer service desk, or through their mobile app. Keep any receipts or confirmation numbers.

Cash compensation if your flight departs from Europe

European Union regulation 261/2004 requires airlines to pay you cash compensation for delays of three hours or more at your final destination. The amount depends on the distance of your flight: €250 for flights up to 1,500 kilometers, €400 for flights between 1,500 and 3,500 kilometers, and €600 for flights longer than 3,500 kilometers. This applies to any airline flying out of an EU airport, even if the airline is not European.

The airline does not have to pay if the delay was caused by "extraordinary circumstances" beyond their control. The regulation lists weather, security risks, air traffic control decisions, and airport operational problems as examples. Mechanical failures and crew issues do not may have access to as extraordinary circumstances, so the airline must pay even if a plane broke down.

You do not have to ask for this compensation—the airline is legally required to offer it. In practice, many airlines do not volunteer the information. If your flight was delayed three hours or more at your destination and it departed from Europe, you can contact the airline's customer service to request the compensation, or you can file a complaint with your country's aviation authority.

What happens with connecting flights and missed connections

If your delay causes you to miss a connecting flight, your rights depend on how your tickets were booked. If you bought a single ticket that included both flights (a "through ticket"), the airline is responsible for getting you to your final destination, even if the delay on the first flight was not their fault. They must rebook you on the next available flight at no cost.

If you bought two separate tickets, the airline that operated the first flight has no obligation to rebook you on the second airline's flight. You would need to contact the second airline directly to rebook, and you may have to pay for a new ticket. This is why booking through-tickets for connections is safer than buying separate tickets.

For compensation purposes, what matters is your arrival time at your final destination, not the time of the missed connection. If you arrive three or more hours late at your final destination because of a delay on the first flight, you may be owed compensation under EU rules (if departing from Europe) or meals and hotel under U.S. rules (if departing from the U.S.).

Refunds versus rebooking

If your flight is cancelled or delayed so severely that you no longer want to travel, you have the right to a refund of your ticket price. Under U.S. law, the airline must refund you if they cannot get you to your destination within 12 hours of your original scheduled arrival time. Under EU law, you can choose between a refund and rebooking on another flight at no cost.

A refund means the airline returns the money you paid for the ticket. This is different from a travel credit or voucher, which you can only use for a future flight with that airline. If you want a refund, you must request it explicitly—airlines prefer to offer credits because they keep the money if you never use the credit.

If you accept rebooking on a later flight, the airline must still provide meals and hotel if the delay is long enough. You are not giving up your right to meals and accommodations by accepting a rebooking.

How to document your delay and request compensation

Keep a record of your original flight number, scheduled departure time, actual departure time, and arrival time. Take a photo of your boarding pass and any delay announcements on the airport screens. If the airline provides meal vouchers or hotel confirmations, save those receipts.

Request meals, hotel, and rebooking in writing through the airline's app, website, or customer service email. A written request creates a record that you asked for these services. If you request them in person at the gate, ask for a written confirmation or take a photo of the gate agent's name and the time you made the request.

If the airline refuses to provide meals, hotel, or compensation, file a complaint with the Department of Transportation (in the U.S.) or your country's aviation authority (in Europe or elsewhere). You can also pursue the claim through small claims court or hire a law firm that specializes in flight delay claims. Some firms work on contingency, meaning they take a percentage of what you recover rather than charging an upfront fee.

Delays caused by weather and other circumstances beyond the airline's control

If your delay is caused by weather, the airline is not required to provide meals or hotel under U.S. law. However, they must still rebook you on another flight at no cost and must allow you to cancel and receive a refund if you choose. Under EU law, the airline must still rebook you or refund you, but they do not have to pay cash compensation for the delay itself.

The airline decides whether a delay was caused by weather or by something within their control. If you disagree with their information, you can request the airline's documentation of the weather conditions or air traffic delays. The National Weather Service and the FAA both publish records of weather and traffic delays that you can check against the airline's claim.

Mechanical failures are not considered beyond the airline's control, even if the airline argues that the failure was unexpected. The airline is responsible for maintaining its aircraft, so a breakdown is their responsibility. If an airline tells you that a delay was caused by weather when the weather was actually clear, or by a mechanical issue they claim was unforeseeable, you may still be owed compensation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I get money back if my flight is delayed in the U.S.?

No. U.S. airlines are not required to pay cash compensation for delays. You are owed meals, hotel, and rebooking if the delay is long enough and caused by the airline, but not money. The only exception is if the delay is so long that the airline cannot get you to your destination within 12 hours, in which case you can demand a refund of your ticket price.

How long does a delay have to be before the airline has to feed me?

Under U.S. rules, the airline must provide a meal voucher if your flight is delayed more than three hours and the delay is caused by the airline (not weather or air traffic control). You must request it—the airline does not have to offer it automatically. Under EU rules, the airline must provide meals for any delay over two hours, regardless of the cause.

Can I get compensation if the airline says the delay was weather?

Under U.S. law, no. Weather is not the airline's responsibility. Under EU law, you still cannot get cash compensation if the delay was caused by weather. However, you can still demand rebooking or a refund. If you believe the airline is lying about the weather, you can check the National Weather Service records for that airport and date.

What if the airline won't give me a hotel room?

Request the hotel in writing through the airline's app or customer service email. Keep a copy of your request. If the airline refuses, pay for the hotel yourself and keep the receipt. You can then file a complaint with the Department of Transportation or pursue the cost through small claims court. The airline may be required to reimburse you.

Do I have to accept rebooking on a different airline?

No. If you were booked on Airline A and they delay you, they must rebook you on Airline A or refund your ticket. They cannot force you onto a competitor's flight. However, if no flights on Airline A are available within a reasonable time, you may have the right to a refund instead.