The airline must rebook you or refund your ticket

When your flight is cancelled, the airline is required by federal law to either put you on another flight to your destination at no extra cost, or refund your ticket price. You do not have to accept the first rebooking they offer—you can ask for a flight on a different airline if the original carrier cannot get you there within a reasonable time. The airline must make this offer before you leave the airport, though you can also request it by phone or online later.

The refund must go back to your original payment method (credit card, debit card, or the account you booked through). If you paid cash or with a check, the airline will issue a refund check. This process typically takes 5 to 10 business days to appear in your account, though some airlines take longer. Do not accept a travel credit or voucher unless you want one—you have the right to cash back.

Key Takeaways

  • The airline must rebook you on the next available flight to your destination or refund your full ticket price in cash.
  • You are may have access to to meals, hotel, and ground transportation if the cancellation leaves you stranded overnight, but only if you ask for it or it is offered.
  • The airline is not required to pay you compensation money for a cancellation caused by weather, mechanical problems, or other operational issues.
  • If the airline cannot rebook you within a few hours, request hotel and meal reimbursement in writing before you pay out of pocket.
  • Keep your boarding pass, receipt, and any proof of expenses—you will need these to claim reimbursement.

When the airline must cover meals and lodging

If a cancellation strands you overnight, the airline must cover the cost of a hotel room and meals while you wait for the next flight. However, you typically have to request this—the airline will not automatically book a room for you. Ask a gate agent or call the airline's customer service line and say you need hotel accommodations because you are stranded. They will either give you a hotel voucher or tell you to book a room yourself and submit the receipt for reimbursement.

Keep all receipts for meals, ground transportation (taxi, rideshare, parking), and the hotel. The airline will reimburse reasonable expenses—a mid-range hotel and meals at normal restaurants, not luxury options. If you book a flight on a different airline to reach your destination faster, some airlines will cover that cost too, but you must ask first. Do not assume they will pay; confirm the amount they will cover before you book.

What you are not automatically owed

The airline does not owe you cash compensation for a cancellation itself. This is different from a delay—if your flight is delayed but still departs, you may be owed compensation depending on how late you arrive. A cancellation, however, only triggers a rebooking or refund obligation, not a payment to you for inconvenience.

The one exception is if the cancellation was caused by something the airline could have prevented—for example, a crew scheduling error or a maintenance problem the airline knew about but did not address. These are rare and hard to prove. Weather, mechanical failures discovered on the day of the flight, and air traffic control issues are not the airline's fault, so no compensation is owed. If you believe the airline caused the cancellation, file a complaint with the Department of Transportation after you have resolved the rebooking.

How to document your expenses for reimbursement

Take a photo or save a copy of every receipt—hotel folio, meal receipts, parking tickets, rideshare confirmations, anything you paid for because of the cancellation. Write down the date, time, and reason for each expense. If you paid cash and have no receipt, write down what you spent and where, and keep any evidence (a credit card statement showing a charge at that location, a text confirmation from a rideshare app, a photo of the hotel).

Before you leave the airport, ask a gate agent for the airline's procedure for submitting reimbursement claims. Some airlines have a form on their website; others want you to email receipts to a specific address. Do this within 30 days of the cancellation—after that, many airlines will deny the claim. Include a brief explanation of what happened and why you incurred each expense. If the airline denies your claim, you can dispute it with your credit card company if you paid by card, or file a complaint with the Department of Transportation.

Rebooking on a different airline

If your airline cannot rebook you on another of their flights within a reasonable time (usually a few hours), you can ask them to book you on a competitor's flight instead. This is called an interline agreement, and most major airlines have them. Tell the gate agent or customer service representative that you want to be rebooked on the next available flight to your destination, even if it is on a different airline.

The airline will issue you a ticket on the other carrier at no cost to you. You will go through security again and may have to collect and recheck your bags, depending on the airlines involved. If the rebooking gets you to your destination significantly faster than waiting for the next flight on your original airline, it is usually worth the extra steps. Ask the agent how long the wait would be on your original airline before you decide.

What to do if the airline refuses to rebook you

If the airline says they cannot rebook you or offers only a travel credit instead of a refund, ask to speak to a supervisor. Explain that federal law requires them to either rebook you or refund your ticket. If they still refuse, write down the name and employee ID of the person who denied you, the date and time, and exactly what they said.

File a complaint with the Department of Transportation within 60 days. You can do this on their website at dot.gov. Include your booking confirmation, boarding pass, proof of the cancellation, and a description of what the airline offered instead of a rebooking or refund. The DOT will investigate and can fine the airline if they violated the rule. In the meantime, you can also dispute the charge with your credit card company if you paid by card and the airline will not refund you.

How cancellations affect connecting flights

If your cancelled flight was a connection (the first leg of a multi-leg trip), the airline must rebook you on a flight that gets you to your final destination, not just to the connection city. If you were booked on one ticket, this is straightforward—they rebook the whole itinerary. If you booked two separate tickets (one to the connection city, one from there to your final destination), the situation is more complicated.

If the first flight is cancelled and you miss the second flight because of it, the airline that cancelled the first flight is not responsible for the second flight if it was booked on a different airline or ticket. You would have to claim a refund from the first airline for that leg, and then contact the second airline about rebooking or refunding the missed connection. To avoid this problem, always book round-trip or multi-leg flights on a single ticket when possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a refund if the airline offers to rebook me on a flight three days later?

Yes. You can refuse the rebooking and request a cash refund instead. The airline does not have to rebook you on the next flight—they have some flexibility—but if the wait is unreasonably long, you have the right to choose a refund. What counts as "unreasonable" is not precisely defined, but more than a few hours is generally considered excessive.

Do I have to accept a travel credit instead of a refund?

No. A travel credit (also called a voucher or airline credit) is only yours if you agree to it. You have the right to a refund to your original payment method. If the airline pressures you to take a credit, ask for a supervisor and state clearly that you want a refund, not a credit.

What if I booked through a travel website like Expedia or Kayak?

The airline is still responsible for rebooking or refunding you, not the travel website. Contact the airline directly—call their customer service line or go to their website. The travel website may also help, but the airline is the one with the legal obligation. Keep your confirmation number from both the airline and the travel website.

Am I owed compensation if the cancellation was due to weather?

No. Weather is considered an "act of God" that the airline cannot control, so no compensation is owed. You are may have access to to a rebooking or refund, but not to cash payment for the inconvenience. The same applies to air traffic control delays and other events outside the airline's control.

How long do I have to request reimbursement for hotel and meals?

Most airlines require you to submit receipts within 30 days of the cancellation. Some may accept claims up to 60 or 90 days, but do not wait. Submit your claim as soon as you have gathered all your receipts and documentation. After the important date passes, the airline will almost certainly deny it.