Your when ready steps during a delay
When an airline announces a delay, your first move is to stay in the airport or near your gate. Do not leave the terminal or turn off your phone — the flight can push back with little warning, and you need to hear the announcement. If the delay stretches past two hours, the airline must provide a way for you to contact family or make a phone call, usually through a courtesy phone or WiFi access.
Check the airline's app or website for real-time updates on your flight number. The gate agent's verbal announcement is the official word, but the app often shows the new departure time first. Write down the new time and take a photo of the gate display so you have proof of what was announced.
If you have a connecting flight, tell a gate agent when ready. They can contact the next airline to hold your connection or rebook you on a later flight to the same destination. Do this before the delay gets worse — waiting until departure time leaves no room to move you to another aircraft.
Key Takeaways
- Stay at the airport and keep your phone on; the flight can depart with short notice and you need to hear the announcement.
- For delays over two hours, the airline must provide a way to make phone calls or contact family at no cost to you.
- If you are connecting to another flight, tell a gate agent right away so they can hold your connection or rebook you.
- Most U.S. airlines are not required to pay you money for delays, but some international carriers and a few U.S. airlines have their own policies.
- Keep receipts for meals, hotels, or transportation you pay for during the delay — you may be able to recover them depending on the airline and the cause.
Meals and hotel rooms during long delays
If the delay is long enough that you will miss a full night of sleep or arrive the next day, ask the gate agent whether the airline will cover a hotel room. The answer depends on the airline's policy and the reason for the delay. Airlines are more likely to pay for a hotel if the delay is their fault — a mechanical problem, crew scheduling issue, or oversold flight — than if it is weather or an air traffic control delay.
For meals during the delay, ask what the airline provides. Some airlines give meal vouchers for delays over three hours; others do not. If the airline does not offer a voucher, you pay out of pocket. Keep all receipts. Some airlines will reimburse meal costs if you submit them later, though the amount is usually capped at $10 to $15 per meal.
If the airline does not offer a hotel and you decide to get one yourself, keep the receipt. You can submit it to the airline after your trip, but understand that reimbursement is not may provide — it depends on the airline's policy and whether they accept that the hotel was necessary.
What compensation you may receive
In the United States, airlines are not required by federal law to pay you money for delays. The U.S. Department of Transportation does not have a delay compensation rule like Europe does. However, some airlines have their own policies: Southwest, for example, sometimes offers travel credits for long delays, and a few carriers reimburse passengers for delays caused by the airline's own actions.
Check your airline's website under "Customer Service" or "Delay Compensation" to see what they promise. The policy is usually buried in the terms and conditions, but major carriers post a summary. If the airline caused the delay — not weather or air traffic control — you have a stronger case for asking for a credit or refund.
If you paid for a ticket with a credit card that offers travel protections, contact the card issuer. Some cards reimburse you for meals, hotels, or other costs during delays, even if the airline does not.
How to request a refund or rebooking
If your flight is delayed so long that you no longer want to take it, you can ask for a refund or a rebooking on a different flight. Go to the ticket counter or gate agent and say you want to cancel the flight. The airline must rebook you on the next available flight to your destination at no extra charge, even if it is on a different airline.
A refund is harder to get. Most airlines will rebook you for free but will not refund your ticket price unless the delay is so extreme that the flight is cancelled. If the flight is cancelled, you have the right to a refund or rebooking. If it is merely delayed, the airline's obligation is to get you to your destination, not to give your money back.
Ask the agent in writing — or take a photo of a written request you hand them — so you have proof of what you asked for and when. This matters if you need to dispute the airline's response later.
Dealing with missed connections and overnight stays
If the delay causes you to miss a connecting flight, the airline that sold you the ticket is responsible for getting you to your final destination, even if the connection was on a different airline. Tell the agent at your departure airport that you are connecting, and they will rebook you. If the rebooking puts you in a city overnight, the airline must pay for the hotel.
If you booked two separate tickets — one flight to a hub and another ticket from the hub to your final destination — the situation is different. The first airline is not responsible for the second ticket. You will have to rebook the second flight yourself, and the first airline will not pay for a hotel. This is why booking through one airline or buying a single ticket is safer for connections.
When you arrive at your final destination late, keep all receipts for meals and any ground transportation you had to pay for. You can submit these to the airline, though reimbursement is not may provide.
Documenting the delay for your records
Take photos of the gate display showing the original departure time and the new time. Take a photo of your boarding pass with the flight number and date. If the airline makes an announcement about the reason for the delay, write down what they said and the time. These records help if you need to dispute a charge later or file a complaint with the airline.
Save all receipts — for meals, hotels, parking, ground transportation, or anything else you paid for because of the delay. Write the date, time, and flight number on the back of each receipt so you remember what it was for. If you paid by credit card, the card statement will have a record too, but a physical receipt is clearer proof.
If the airline promises something — a meal voucher, a hotel, a rebooking on a specific flight — ask for it in writing or take a photo of the agent's name tag and the time so you can reference the conversation later.
Filing a complaint if the airline does not help
If the airline refuses to rebook you, pay for a hotel, or honor a promise they made, you can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation. Go to the DOT's Aviation Consumer Protection Division website and fill out a complaint form. Include your flight number, the date, what happened, and what the airline said or did not do.
The DOT does not have the power to force an airline to pay you, but they track complaints and can investigate patterns of poor service. If many passengers complain about the same airline, the DOT may take action. Your complaint becomes part of the public record and can help other passengers.
You can also contact your state's attorney general's office or your credit card company's dispute department if you paid with a card. Some card issuers will dispute a charge if the airline failed to deliver the service you paid for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to stay at the airport during a delay?
No, but if you leave, you risk missing the flight if it departs early or with short notice. If the delay is long — six hours or more — it is reasonable to leave the airport, but tell the gate agent where you will be and keep your phone on. Some airlines text or call passengers if the departure time changes.
Can I get a refund if my flight is delayed more than a few hours?
Not unless the flight is cancelled. If the flight is merely delayed, the airline's job is to get you to your destination, not to refund your ticket. You can ask for a rebooking on a different flight at no extra charge, but a refund requires cancellation.
What if the delay is caused by weather?
Weather is considered an "act of God," and airlines are not responsible for paying you money or covering hotels for weather delays. However, they still must rebook you on the next available flight and provide a way to make phone calls. Some airlines voluntarily offer meal vouchers or hotels during weather delays, but they are not required to.
Who pays if I miss a connecting flight because of a delay?
If both flights are on the same ticket or booked through the same airline, the airline pays for a hotel and rebooks you. If you bought two separate tickets, the first airline is not responsible for the second, and you have to rebook the second flight yourself.
Can I get money back for meals I bought during the delay?
Maybe. Keep your receipts and submit them to the airline after your trip. Most airlines have a cap — usually $10 to $15 per meal — and some do not reimburse at all. Check your airline's policy on their website before you submit.