# Delayed or canceled US flight: refund rules at 3 or 6 hours

Source: https://airtravelrights.com/us-dot/delayed-canceled-flight-rights/

> Land 3+ hours late domestic (6+ international) and turn down the rebooking: full refund in 7 business days to a credit card, 20 calendar days otherwise.

# Delayed or canceled flight in the US: what airlines owe you

A flight that arrives 3 hours or more late on a domestic US itinerary, or 6 hours or more late on an international one, opens a full refund if you turn down the [rebooking](https://airtravelrights.com/missed-connection-compensation/). Cash for the wait is another matter: on domestic trips there is no federal compensation for delays, so flight delay compensation in the US means whatever an airline chooses to offer. Below are the refund deadlines, the tarmac limits and what each airline commits to. Flights out of Europe or the UK on the same trip follow other rules, covered near the end. Getting bumped from an oversold flight is a different rule with its own compensation, covered on the [denied boarding compensation page](https://airtravelrights.com/us-dot/bumped-flight-compensation/), not here.

## Is there federal compensation for a delayed flight in the US?

No federal rule requires cash compensation for a delayed or canceled flight on a domestic US itinerary, the DOT says on its Fly Rights page, last updated 26 Sep 2025. On 17 Nov 2025 the DOT withdrew its 11 Dec 2024 advance notice that had raised cash compensation, rebooking and amenities. A refund, tarmac limits and airline commitments remain.

Source: DOT Fly Rights - transportation.gov; Federal Register 2025-20042 (90 FR 51230) - federalregister.gov, checked 2026-09-15.

The DOT's Fly Rights guide puts it directly: for a domestic trip, "airlines are not required to compensate passengers whose flights are delayed or canceled". The only domestic case where compensation is required by law is getting bumped from an oversold flight, covered on the [denied boarding compensation page](https://airtravelrights.com/us-dot/bumped-flight-compensation/). The 11 Dec 2024 Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on airline passenger rights, covering cash compensation, rebooking and amenities, was withdrawn as of 17 Nov 2025 (90 FR 51230). A separate rule on reporting delay causes takes effect 19 Oct 2026, but it [changes](https://airtravelrights.com/data/passenger-rights-rule-changes/) airline paperwork, not your payout.

A voucher or miles offered at the gate for a delay come from the airline's own policy. The DOT says "each airline has its own policies about what it will do for delayed passengers waiting at the airport; there are no federal requirements". The DOT automatic refund rule is different: under 14 CFR 260.6(a) it is due even when you do not respond to the airline's offer and the flight departs. Keep any voucher offer in writing, and do not accept it in place of a refund due under 14 CFR 260.

This page covers US DOT rules. Flying out of Europe or the UK on the same trip? See the [transatlantic compensation guide](https://airtravelrights.com/transatlantic-flight-compensation/) instead - and the [US DOT hub](https://airtravelrights.com/us-dot/) links every other US rule this page does not cover.

## When does a delay or schedule change entitle you to a refund?

3 hours or more on a domestic itinerary, or 6 hours or more on an international one, is the line in 14 CFR 260.2. Arriving that much later, or departing that much earlier, makes a "significantly delayed or changed flight". Reject the airline's alternative, or leave it unanswered until the flight departs, and the fare is refunded in full.

Source: 14 CFR 260.2, 260.6(a) - ecfr.gov, checked 2026-09-15.

Under 14 CFR 260.2, these grounds count as a significant delay or change.

| Ground | Threshold |
|:--|:--|
| Departure change | 3+ hours earlier (domestic) or 6+ hours earlier (international) |
| Arrival change | 3+ hours later (domestic) or 6+ hours later (international) |
| Airport change | A different origin or destination airport |
| Connections | More connecting stops than originally booked |
| Class of service | A downgrade to a lower class |
| Disability-related | A connection or aircraft change specific to a passenger with a disability |

Source: 14 CFR 260.2 "Significantly delayed or changed flight" - ecfr.gov, checked 2026-09-15.

A refund becomes automatic under 14 CFR 260.6(a) in three cases. The airline cancels and offers no alternative. You turn down the alternative it does offer. Or you simply do not respond, and the flight departs.

Accept the rebooked flight, and the automatic refund route closes for that disruption. Decline in writing before you board the replacement if you want the fare, taxes and ancillary fees back instead.

One exception covers renumbered flights. The DOT does not enforce the cancellation-refund requirements of 14 CFR 260.6, 260.9 and 399.80(l) where a flight is merely renumbered, you are rebooked on the renumbered flight, and there is no significant change or delay. The DOT paused enforcement on 5 Dec 2025 and has extended that to 7 Jul 2027 (91 FR 41556). Full refund mechanics, including bag-fee refunds and payment timelines, are covered on the [DOT refund rules page](https://airtravelrights.com/us-dot/airline-refund-rules/).

## How fast must the refund arrive, and can the airline offer credit instead?

7 business days is the refund deadline under 14 CFR 260.2 when you paid by credit card. 20 calendar days covers cash, check, debit card or any other payment method instead. The airline can offer a travel credit, but only as an explicit alternative you affirmatively accept, not the default.

Source: 14 CFR 260.2 "Prompt refund", 260.6(c) - ecfr.gov, checked 2026-09-15.

That credit, if you accept it, has to stay valid for at least 5 years. The airline must tell you that you have the right to a refund instead (14 CFR 260.6(c)). Silence does not mean you accept a credit. If you do not respond to the airline's offer, the refund is due once the flight departs.

The [DOT refund rules page](https://airtravelrights.com/us-dot/airline-refund-rules/) covers bag-fee refunds and disability-related refund triggers. It also covers what happens if a promised refund never arrives. Booked with American? The [American Airlines refund](https://airtravelrights.com/airlines/american-airlines/refund/) page applies these rules to that carrier.

Worked example: a $450 domestic ticket, flight delayed 4 hours, passenger declines the rebooked flight. The delay clears the 3-hour line and the passenger rejected the rebooking, so 14 CFR 260.6(a) makes the refund due. The $450, taxes and fees included, is due back to the credit card within 7 business days. Paid by cash or check, it is due within 20 calendar days.

If the refund misses that deadline, write to the airline first, then file a [DOT complaint](https://airtravelrights.com/airline-refused-compensation/) (route in the notification section below).

## What do airlines commit to for controllable delays: meals, hotels, rebooking?

9 airlines appear in the DOT's Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard table (page last updated 11 Sep 2025). All 9 show "No" for cash compensation when a controllable delay or cancellation leaves you waiting 3 hours or more. The table below keeps the dashboard's own marks. The DOT says it holds airlines to these promises.

**DOT dashboard commitments by carrier**

| Carrier | Cash compensation | Credit or voucher | Miles | Hotel and ground transport (overnight) |
|:--|:--|:--|:--|:--|
| Alaska | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Allegiant | No | Not marked Yes | Not marked Yes | Yes |
| American | No | Not marked Yes | Not marked Yes | Yes |
| Delta | No | Not marked Yes | Not marked Yes | Yes |
| Frontier | No | Not marked Yes | Not marked Yes | No |
| Hawaiian | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| JetBlue | No | Yes | Not marked Yes | Yes |
| Southwest | No | Yes | Not marked Yes | Yes |
| United | No | Not marked Yes | Not marked Yes | Yes |

Source: DOT Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard (detail page last updated 11 Sep 2025) - transportation.gov, checked 2026-09-15.

Frontier is the only airline in the table marked "No" for hotel and ground transport, and only Alaska and Hawaiian are marked Yes for miles. "Not marked Yes" means the dashboard does not show Yes for that commitment at that airline.

The DOT says airlines "are required to adhere to the promises that they make in their customer service plan, including commitments to care for customers in the event of controllable delays or cancellations". It adds that it "will hold airlines accountable if they fail to do so". One exception applies. From 10 Dec 2025, the DOT's Office of Aviation Consumer Protection does not treat a cancellation or lengthy delay caused by unscheduled maintenance required by a non-deferrable airworthiness directive as "within the airline's control" for these commitments. That holds until further notice or the end of the cause-of-delay rulemaking.

Rebooking splits into two rows on the dashboard: rebooking on the same airline and rebooking on a partner airline. Allegiant, Frontier and Southwest show "No" for partner-airline rebooking. The full table lives on the [airline customer service commitments page](https://airtravelrights.com/us-dot/airline-customer-service-commitments/). Find your airline's column on the dashboard before you accept a voucher at the gate.

## What are the tarmac delay limits?

3 hours on a domestic flight and 4 hours on an international one are the tarmac limits in 14 CFR 259.4. Before a tarmac delay at a US airport exceeds them, the airline must give you the opportunity to deplane. Safety, security and air traffic control reasons are the exceptions.

Source: 14 CFR 259.4, 259.2, 259.3 - ecfr.gov, checked 2026-09-15.

Food and water must reach you within 2 hours of the delay starting. The airline also owes you a status notice once the delay exceeds 30 minutes. The rule covers US certificated and commuter carriers, and foreign carriers on flights to or from the US, when the aircraft has 30 or more seats.

A tarmac delay can run long enough to make the whole flight arrive 3 hours late domestically, or 6 hours internationally. When it does, the flight also meets the 14 CFR 260.2 significant-delay definition. Whether a refund follows depends on the 260.6(a) conditions above. Note the time you were told you could deplane. Note the time food and water arrived too, in case you need to show the airline missed its own deadlines.

## What must the airline tell you about a delay, and when?

30 minutes is the deadline in 14 CFR 259.8. Once the airline becomes aware of a cancellation, a diversion or a delay of 30 minutes or more on a flight scheduled within the next 7 days, it must notify you within 30 minutes. The clock runs from when the airline became aware, not from when the disruption began.

Source: 14 CFR 259.8 - ecfr.gov, checked 2026-09-15.

The rule applies only to flights due within the next week. If the airline never notifies you, contact the airline first. Then file a [DOT complaint](https://airtravelrights.com/us-dot/airline-complaint/): the online form at secure.dot.gov/air-travel-complaint, or by mail to the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection, U.S. DOT, 1200 New Jersey Ave SE, Washington DC 20590. The DOT directs the airline to respond to you, with a copy to the DOT, and does not investigate every service complaint. The airline must acknowledge your complaint within 30 days, and respond in writing within 60 days, under 14 CFR 259.7(c).

A complaint about late notice turns on the gap between two times: when the airline first told you, and when you first noticed the problem. Save the timestamp of the airline's first notice, whether it came by text, app alert or gate announcement, and write down your own time too.

## Can you recover expenses under the Montreal Convention on an international trip?

6,303 SDR per passenger is the Montreal Convention limit for delay damages under the ICAO revision effective 28 Dec 2024, a Special Drawing Right figure rather than a dollar amount. For international itineraries, the DOT says passengers may be able to recover reimbursement under article 19 for expenses from a delayed or canceled flight by claiming with the airline.

Source: Montreal Convention art. 22(1); ICAO 2024 revised limits - icao.int; DOT Fly Rights - transportation.gov, checked 2026-09-15.

Montreal Convention delay damages fall under article 19, which lets a passenger claim proven out-of-pocket losses from a delay: a missed hotel night, say, or a replacement ticket. It is not a fixed payout for the wait.

The airline has a defense. It is not liable if it proves it took all measures reasonably required to avoid the harm, or that it was impossible to take such measures. A court action must be brought within 2 years. The clock counts from the date of arrival, the date the flight ought to have arrived, or the date carriage stopped. Miss it, and the right to damages is extinguished.

This route exists only for international itineraries. A US domestic delay has no Montreal Convention fallback. Keep receipts for anything you pay out of pocket because of the delay. Without them, a Montreal Convention claim for proven damage has nothing to point to.

Worked example: a 14-hour delay into an international connection forces an unplanned $180 hotel night and a $60 taxi. Both are proven, receipted losses, the kind article 19 is built to reimburse, up to the 6,303 SDR ceiling. Neither is a flat payout for the 14 hours themselves, and the airline can still raise the article 19 defense.

## Flying from Europe or the UK? Which rules apply to that leg

EU261 and UK261 decide by departure airport. A flight leaving an airport in an EU member state is covered by EU261. A flight leaving a UK airport is covered by UK261, whatever the airline. Into the EU, EU261 needs a Community carrier on the flight. Into the UK, UK261 needs a UK or Community carrier.

Source: EU261 art. 3; UK261 art. 3 - eur-lex.europa.eu; legislation.gov.uk, checked 2026-09-15.

On departures, neither rule looks at where the airline is licensed. On arrivals it does: a US carrier's flight into the EU or the UK from outside is covered by neither. A Community carrier's flight from the US into the EU is covered, and so is a UK or Community carrier's flight into the UK. The exception: you already received benefits or compensation and assistance in the US.

One more wrinkle on a codeshare ticket. EU261 and UK261 look at the airline that actually operates the flight, not the one whose flight number is printed on your ticket. A United-numbered flight operated by a European partner is judged by that operator, not by United.

Check which rules apply to your route and airline with the [which-law-covers-my-flight guide](https://airtravelrights.com/which-law-covers-my-flight/), or read the [EU261](https://airtravelrights.com/eu261/), [UK261](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/) or [Canada APPR](https://airtravelrights.com/canada-appr/) rules directly. For a flight that left an EU or UK airport, check the EU261 or UK261 amount for your distance with the [compensation calculator](https://airtravelrights.com/compensation-calculator/). See the full [transatlantic rules comparison](https://airtravelrights.com/transatlantic-flight-compensation/) for United, American, Delta and the European carriers side by side. Check which airline actually operated your delayed leg before you decide which page to read next.

General information, not legal advice. For your specific case: the DOT Office of Aviation Consumer Protection or a consumer protection attorney.

## Sources

- U.S. DOT, Fly Rights - [transportation.gov](https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/fly-rights), checked 2026-09-15.
- U.S. DOT, Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard - [transportation.gov](https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/airline-cancellation-delay-dashboard), checked 2026-09-15.
- Federal Register, Airline Passenger Rights (Withdrawal), 2025-20042 (90 FR 51230) - [federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/17/2025-20042/airline-passenger-rights-withdrawal), checked 2026-09-15.
- Federal Register, Cause of Airline Delay and Cancellation Categories, 2026-18040 (91 FR 56588) - [federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/03/2026-18040/cause-of-airline-delay-and-cancellation-categories-under-section-511b-of-the-faa-reauthorization-act), checked 2026-09-15.
- 14 CFR Part 260, Refunds - [ecfr.gov](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/part-260), checked 2026-09-15.
- 14 CFR Part 259, Enhancing Airline Passenger Protections - [ecfr.gov](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/part-259), checked 2026-09-15.
- U.S. DOT, File a Consumer Complaint - [transportation.gov](https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/file-consumer-complaint), checked 2026-09-15.
- Federal Register, Airline Customer Service Commitments for Controllable Flight Disruptions... Unscheduled Maintenance, 2025-22415 (90 FR 57138) - [federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/10/2025-22415/airline-customer-service-commitments-for-controllable-flight-disruptions-unscheduled-maintenance-in), checked 2026-09-15.
- Federal Register, Airline Refunds and Other Consumer Protections (renumbered-flight discretion), 2026-13675 (91 FR 41556) - [federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/07/2026-13675/airline-refunds-and-other-consumer-protections), checked 2026-09-15.
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, art. 3 - [eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32004R0261), checked 2026-09-15.
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as it forms part of UK law, art. 3 - [legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2004/261/article/3), checked 2026-09-15.
- Montreal Convention 1999, arts. 19, 22(1), 35 - [eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:22001A0718(01)), checked 2026-09-15.
- Montreal Convention 1999, ICAO 2024 revised limits of liability - [icao.int](https://www.icao.int/sites/default/files/secretariat/legal/LEB%20Treaty%20Collection%20Documents/2024_Revised_Limits_of_Liability_Under_the_Montreal_Convention_of_1999_en.pdf), checked 2026-09-15.