Your Flight Got Delayed or Cancelled — Here's What to Do

Flight's delayed. Flight's cancelled. Either way, the next 5 minutes matter more than the next 5 hours. Here's exactly what to do, in order.

Do these first — the 5-minute window matters

Every minute you spend frozen at the gate is a minute someone else grabs the last seat on the next flight.

• Open the airline app immediately — most let you rebook faster than any gate agent can
• Call customer service at the same time — put your phone to your ear while you walk toward the gate line (numbers below)
• Screenshot everything — departure board, your boarding pass, airline notifications. You'll need these for claims.
• Check your credit card travel benefits — Chase Sapphire, Amex Platinum, Capital One Venture X all cover hotels and meals for delays over 6 hours. You may already have coverage you've forgotten about.

Must-do list

• If the airline cancels, you can request a refund to your original payment method — under the DOT's 2024 Automatic Refund Rule, if you choose not to accept the rebooked flight, you're entitled to your money back the way you paid — not just a voucher. This applies to cancellations and significant delays of 3+ hours domestic, 6+ hours international.
• This is a refund of your ticket cost — not extra compensation. Airlines are not required to pay you anything beyond returning what you spent. A proposed rule that would have required additional cash compensation for controllable cancellations was withdrawn in November 2025.
• The refund rule does not cover weather — weather and air traffic control delays are excluded. You can get a refund if you choose not to fly, but the airline owes you nothing else for a weather delay. More on this below.
• Ask for meal vouchers at the gate — most major US airlines provide these for delays over 3 hours caused by the airline. You have to ask. They won't always offer.
• Ask for a hotel voucher if stranded overnight — say directly: "Am I entitled to accommodation tonight?"
• Come to the counter with a specific reroute in mind — check Google Flights yourself and arrive with a flight number ready.

File a DOT complaint if a US airline refuses a refund you're owed: transportation.gov/airconsumer

Do NOT do these

• Don't accept a voucher without asking about a refund first — vouchers expire, have restrictions, and can't be used on other airlines
• Don't accept a rebooking if you'd rather have your money back — once you accept an alternative flight, you give up your right to a refund
• Don't leave the airport without documenting — if you book your own hotel without written confirmation from the airline, reimbursement gets much harder
• Don't yell at gate agents — calm and specific ("What are my accommodation options tonight?") gets results. Angry doesn't.
• Don't throw away any receipts — hotel, meals, transport. Keep everything for claims.

App, X DM, or phone — which to use when

Use the airline app when

• It's a normal delay or routine cancellation
• You need rebooking options pushed to your screen
• You want same-day flight changes
• You need seat assignments or upgrades

DM the airline on X (Twitter) when

• It's a massive weather event or systemwide cancellation
• The app is overloaded or crashing
• You want to reach a human faster than the phone queue
• You're asking for goodwill credits or vouchers

Call customer service when

• You need complex ticketing — multi-city, partner airlines, codeshares
• You need to change a non-refundable fare class
• Your ticket was issued by a travel agent

What the DOT Delay Dashboard means for you

The US Department of Transportation publishes an Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard tracking which airlines have voluntarily committed to passenger protections for controllable cancellations — delays caused by mechanical issues, crew problems, or operational decisions. Weather and air traffic control are not controllable.

The key word is voluntary. These are not legal requirements. A green checkmark means the airline committed to that service. A red X means they haven't — and they're not required to.

Frontier and Spirit have made significantly fewer commitments. If you regularly fly budget carriers, travel insurance covers the gaps they won't.

Weather delays: the airline owes you nothing — here's what actually covers you

This is the gap most travelers don't find out about until they're stuck. If your flight is delayed or cancelled due to weather, airlines are not required to give you a hotel, meals, or any compensation beyond a refund if you choose not to fly. It doesn't matter how long you wait.

Your credit card (if you have a premium travel card)

Chase Sapphire Reserve, Amex Platinum, and Capital One Venture X all include travel delay benefits that kick in regardless of whether the delay is the airline's fault. Most require a 6-hour delay — check your specific card terms.

Travel insurance

This is where a standalone policy earns its cost. Both Allianz and Generali cover weather-related travel delays, including meals, hotel, and transport. Here's exactly what each covers.

Airline contact numbers

Save these in your phone before your trip — not in email, in your contacts.