US DOT $US airline passenger rights under Department of Transportation rules

Checked 15 Sep 2026·14 min read · 4 tables

$2,150 is the cap on the one cash payment US federal law requires on domestic trips: compensation for being bumped from an oversold flight. For a delayed or canceled flight, US Department of Transportation rules set no cash compensation. They set refund rights under 14 CFR Part 260 that depend on whether you accept the airline’s alternative, tarmac limits under 14 CFR Part 259, bag-fee refunds, and the promises airlines list on DOT dashboards. This page sets out DOT airline passenger rights rule by rule, each with its number and source.

#US DOT $Do US airlines have to compensate you for delays or cancellations?

No. For domestic itineraries, airlines are not required to compensate passengers whose flights are delayed or canceled, the DOT’s Fly Rights guide says (last updated 26 Sep 2025). On 17 Nov 2025 the Department withdrew its 11 Dec 2024 advance notice of proposed rulemaking on airline passenger rights, covering cash compensation, rebooking and amenities (90 FR 51230).

Source: DOT Fly Rights (last updated 26 Sep 2025) — transportation.gov; Federal Register 2025-20042 (90 FR 51230) — federalregister.gov, checked 2026-09-15.

The same Fly Rights passage names the exception: “compensation is required by law on domestic trips only when you are 'bumped' from a flight that is oversold.” On international itineraries, DOT says passengers may be able to recover reimbursement for expenses from a delayed or canceled flight under article 19 of the Montreal Convention, by claiming with the airline (see the Montreal Convention guide).

A transatlantic trip can bring a European regime into one leg. EU261 covers any flight departing an EU airport, and a flight into the EU from a third country such as the US only when the operating carrier is a Community carrier. The Irish Aviation Authority’s example is a New York to Dublin delay: covered on Aer Lingus, not on American Airlines. UK261 covers any flight departing a UK airport, a flight into the UK only when the operating carrier is a Community carrier or a UK air carrier, and a UK air carrier’s flight into an EU member state. Neither arrival rule applies if you already received benefits or compensation and assistance in the country you flew from.

Not your situation? Flying from Europe or the UK? Use the transatlantic flight compensation guide. Other regimes start at the UK261, EU261 and Canada APPR hubs, and which law covers my flight sorts out a mixed itinerary. Check which airline operated each leg, and where that leg departed, before you choose a page.

#When must a US airline refund your ticket?

3 hours or more late on a domestic flight, or 6 hours or more on an international one, is a significant change under 14 CFR 260.2, and a cancellation has its own definition there. Either way, 260.6(a) requires a full refund if the airline offers no alternative, you reject it, or you do not respond and the flight departs.

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

A canceled flight, in 14 CFR 260.2, is a covered flight whose flight number was in the reservations system when the ticket was sold, but which did not operate. The significant-change list also covers departure 3 hours or more earlier (6 hours internationally), a different origin or destination airport, more connection points, a downgrade to a lower class, and connection or aircraft changes specific to a passenger with a disability. These automatic refunds cover the fare, taxes and ancillary fees.

Silence does not cost you the refund. If you never answer a rebooking offer, the refund is still due once the flight departs; only accepting the alternative ends it. A voucher or credit can replace the money only if the airline offers it as an explicit alternative, tells you about your right to a refund, keeps it valid for at least 5 years, and you affirmatively accept it (14 CFR 260.6(c), 260.7).

Source: 14 CFR 260.2 “Prompt refund” — ecfr.gov, checked 2026-09-15.

A ticket paid by debit card sits in the 20-day row, not the 7-day one.

The DOT refund rules page covers refund mechanics in full, and the delayed and canceled flight rights page applies them to a disrupted trip. Keep the airline’s change notice and your payment record. Together they show which trigger and which deadline apply.

#How much do you get if you are bumped from an oversold flight?

200% of your one-way fare, up to $1,075, or 400%, up to $2,150, is the involuntary denied boarding compensation set by 14 CFR Part 250, depending on how late the alternate flight arrives. Nothing is due at 1 hour late or less, and exceptions in 14 CFR 250.6 can remove the payment.

Source: 14 CFR 250.5(a)-(b), 250.6 — ecfr.gov, checked 2026-09-15.

The rule covers flights on aircraft with 30 or more passenger seats, on nonstop segments that originate in the US. Airlines must ask for volunteers first and must offer the payment without being asked. The fare is the price you paid with mandatory taxes and fees, not optional ancillary fees.

Source: 14 CFR 250.5(a) domestic, 250.5(b) international — ecfr.gov, checked 2026-09-15.

The caps match in both columns. Only the band from 2 to 4 hours late pays a different rate.

On a $300 one-way domestic fare, an alternate flight landing 90 minutes late earns 200%, or $600. Landing 2 hours or more late, the same fare earns 400%, or $1,200. On a $700 fare, 400% would be $2,800, so the $2,150 cap is the amount due.

No payment is due if you did not meet the airline’s ticketing or check-in rules, or if a smaller aircraft was substituted for operational or safety reasons. The same goes for weight or balance limits on an aircraft with 60 or fewer seats, and for being seated elsewhere on the flight at no extra charge. The caps replaced $775 and $1,550 on 22 Jan 2025, and 14 CFR 250.5(e) reviews them every two years.

The bumped flight compensation guide covers volunteers and vouchers in full. Note the alternate flight’s arrival time and your original one before you leave the gate.

#How long can an airline keep you on the tarmac?

Before a tarmac delay at a US airport exceeds 3 hours on a domestic flight or 4 hours on an international flight, the tarmac delay rule in 14 CFR 259.4 requires the airline to give you the opportunity to deplane. Safety, security and air traffic control reasons are the exceptions (Airline customer service commitments dot dashboard).

Source: 14 CFR 259.4(c)(1)-(3) — ecfr.gov, checked 2026-09-15.

The rule binds US certificated and commuter carriers, and foreign carriers on flights to or from the US, whenever the aircraft has 30 or more passenger seats. Food and potable water must reach you no later than 2 hours after the tarmac delay starts. A status notice is due once the delay exceeds 30 minutes (14 CFR 259.4(c)(4) and (c)(6)).

Put clock times on it. If a tarmac delay on a domestic flight starts at 14:00, a status notice is due once it passes 14:30, food and water by 16:00, and the opportunity to deplane before 17:00. On an international flight the first two times stay the same. The deplaning deadline moves to before 18:00.

The delayed and canceled flight rights page covers the airline’s other duties during a delay. Write down when the tarmac delay began, when water arrived and when deplaning was offered. Those times are your evidence for a complaint.

#What have airlines promised on the DOT customer service dashboard?

9 airlines are columns in DOT’s Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard table, and all 9 read “No” for cash compensation when a controllable cancellation or delay leaves you waiting 3 hours or more. The columns are Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest and United.

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

Every column answers the same rows: rebooking on the same airline or a partner airline, a meal or meal voucher, a hotel for an overnight stay with ground transport, cash compensation, credit or a voucher, and frequent-flyer miles. The meal, cash, credit and miles rows apply to a wait of 3 hours or more. Only 4 of the 9 airlines say “Yes” to credit or a voucher (Alaska, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest), and only 2 to miles (Alaska, Hawaiian). Frontier reads “No” for hotel and ground transport. Allegiant Air, Frontier and Southwest read “No” for partner-airline rebooking.

DOT states that 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: “The Department will hold airlines accountable if they fail to do so.”

Since 10 Dec 2025, the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection will not treat cancellations or lengthy delays caused by unscheduled maintenance required by a non-deferrable airworthiness directive as “within airline control” for these commitments. That holds until further notice or the end of the cause-of-delay rulemaking (90 FR 57138).

The full table is on the airline customer service commitments page. The American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines cards put each carrier’s US rules on one page. Open your airline’s dashboard column before you accept a voucher at the gate.

#What are your rights for delayed or lost bags on US domestic flights?

12 hours is the domestic line: a checked bag not delivered within 12 hours is “significantly delayed” under 14 CFR 260.2, and the airline must refund the bag fee once you file a Mishandled Baggage Report. International itineraries use 15 or 30 hours, depending on the nonstop segment between the US and the foreign country (DOT flight refund rules).

Source: 14 CFR 260.2, 260.5(b) — ecfr.gov, checked 2026-09-15.

Source: 14 CFR 260.2, 260.5(b) — ecfr.gov, checked 2026-09-15.

The rule refunds the bag fee, not the value of the contents.

Liability for the bag itself sits in 14 CFR Part 254, the Title 14 rule on domestic baggage liability. A carrier may not limit its liability below $4,700 per passenger on aircraft with more than 60 seats. A damaged wheelchair is the exception, valued at its original purchase price with no $4,700 cap (flying with a disability). The floor was $3,800 until 89 FR 84815, the 2024 rule that also raised the bumping caps. For an international itinerary, see the Montreal Convention guide and the lost and delayed baggage guide.

File the Mishandled Baggage Report with the airline and keep a dated copy. The bag-fee refund under 14 CFR 260.5(b) depends on that report.

#How do you file a DOT complaint, and what happens next?

30 days to acknowledge and 60 days to answer in writing are the airline’s deadlines under 14 CFR 259.7(c) when you complain to the airline itself. DOT asks you to contact the airline first; its Office of Aviation Consumer Protection then takes complaints by online form or by mail to 1200 New Jersey Ave SE, Washington DC 20590.

Source: DOT File a Consumer Complaint (last updated 1 Aug 2025) — transportation.gov; 14 CFR 259.7(c) — ecfr.gov, checked 2026-09-15.

Once a complaint reaches DOT, the Department directs the airline or ticket agent to respond to you, with a copy to DOT. It does not investigate every service complaint. It runs targeted and sample reviews instead, and civil-rights complaints are the stated exception.

The DOT complaint walkthrough goes through the form step by step. Before you file, collect your booking reference, the airline’s disruption notice, the date you complained to the airline and any reply it sent.

#What changed in US passenger rules in 2025 and 2026?

8 dates between 22 Jan 2025 and 7 Jul 2027 mark changes to the federal rules on this page, from the higher bumping caps to the extended renumbered-flight enforcement pause. The eCFR text of Title 14 was up to date as of 11 Sep 2026 when this page was checked on 15 Sep 2026.

Source: eCFR Title 14 (up to date as of 11 Sep 2026) — ecfr.gov; Federal Register notices in the table — federalregister.gov, checked 2026-09-15.

US passenger rule changes, 2025 to 2026

Source: Federal Register 2024-23588, 2025-02814, 2025-20042, 2025-22140, 2025-22415, 2026-08103, 2026-18040, 2026-13675 — federalregister.gov, checked 2026-09-15.

Two of the 8 dates, 19 Oct 2026 and 7 Jul 2027, still lie ahead of this page’s 15 Sep 2026 check.

The one-page passenger-rights rule has been in effect since 26 May 2026, but airlines do not have to comply until DOT publishes the notice of OMB approval. The refund thresholds have not moved. The 3-hour and 6-hour lines in 14 CFR 260.2 come from the refund rule effective 25 Jun 2024 (89 FR 32760). The renumbered-flight pause changes enforcement, not those lines. The flight delay threshold comparison sets the US 3-hour line beside the UK261, EU261 and APPR thresholds.

Re-check this page after each of those two dates.

All guides in this topic

• 24-hour cancellation rule: full refund on US flights — Tickets booked 7 or more days ahead, directly with a covered carrier; the airline may offer a 24-hour hold instead (14 CFR 259.5(b)(4)).
• Airline customer service dashboard: 9 US airlines compared — All 9 read No on cash; Frontier alone has no hotel promise.
• Bumped from a US flight: 200% or 400% of fare, up to $2,150 — Bumped against your will on a US departure: 200% of your one-way fare (max $1,075) or 400% (max $2,150).
• Delayed or canceled US flight: refund rules at 3 or 6 hours — 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.
• DOT refunds: 7 business days credit card, 20 days otherwise — Canceled, or 3+ hours late domestic (6+ international)? Decline the rebooking for a full refund; a credit you accept must stay valid at least 5 years.
• File a DOT complaint against an airline: what happens next — File a DOT complaint online, by mail or on 855-368-4200.

US airports (BTS domestic arrivals, July 2026)

• Chicago O’Hare — 70.4% on time across 35,303 arrivals; on a domestic flight, deplaning must be offered before 3 hours on the tarmac
• Denver — 73.9% on time and 0.86% canceled, the best on-time share of the five
• JFK — 11.75% canceled, more than four times the 2.79% national rate
• Newark — 62.7% on time; a change of arrival airport is a significant change, refundable if you decline the alternative
• San Francisco — 51.6% on time; BTS puts the equivalent of 28.55% of arrivals down to National Aviation System delay

General information on DOT airline passenger rights, 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, checked 2026-09-15.
• Federal Register 2025-20042 (90 FR 51230), passenger rights ANPRM withdrawal - federalregister.gov, checked 2026-09-15.
• 14 CFR Part 260, Refunds - ecfr.gov, checked 2026-09-15.
• Federal Register 2024-07177 (89 FR 32760), refund rule - federalregister.gov, checked 2026-09-15.
• Federal Register 2026-13675 (91 FR 41556), renumbered-flight discretion (extends FR 2025-22140) - federalregister.gov, checked 2026-09-15.
• 14 CFR Part 250, Oversales - ecfr.gov, checked 2026-09-15.
• Federal Register 2024-23588 (89 FR 84815), bumping and baggage limits - federalregister.gov, checked 2026-09-15.
• Federal Register 2025-02814 (90 FR 9952), enforcement delay - federalregister.gov, checked 2026-09-15.
• 14 CFR Part 259, tarmac delays and customer service - ecfr.gov, checked 2026-09-15.
• 14 CFR 254.4, domestic baggage liability - ecfr.gov, checked 2026-09-15.
• U.S. DOT, Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard - transportation.gov, checked 2026-09-15.
• U.S. DOT, Airline Customer Service Dashboard - transportation.gov, checked 2026-09-15.
• Federal Register 2025-22415 (90 FR 57138), unscheduled maintenance - federalregister.gov, checked 2026-09-15.
• Federal Register 2026-08103 (91 FR 21955), one-page passenger rights document - federalregister.gov, checked 2026-09-15.
• Federal Register 2026-18040 (91 FR 56588), cause-of-delay categories - federalregister.gov, checked 2026-09-15.
• U.S. DOT, File a Consumer Complaint - transportation.gov, checked 2026-09-15.
• Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, art. 3 - eur-lex.europa.eu, checked 2026-09-15.
• Irish Aviation Authority, Air passenger rights - iaa.ie, checked 2026-09-15.
• UK261 (assimilated Regulation 261/2004), art. 3 - legislation.gov.uk, checked 2026-09-15.

#FAQ