Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Flight canceled or delayed? Here’s the regulation­s

You may be able to get reimbursem­ent, voucher

- Dawn Gilbertson USA TODAY NETWORK – WISCONSIN

Ask most travelers to describe flying during the holidays and they paint a picture more stressful than joyous: snaking lines at check-in, security and even at Starbucks; a scramble for chairs and power outlets at the gate; and annoying passengers who won’t keep their masks on or watch movies without headphones.

And then there’s the ultimate stressor: flight delays or cancellati­ons, a common occurrence in this year of airline meltdowns. Add in wintry weather, and it’s easy for travel plans to go awry.

What’s a stranded traveler to do? Know your rights and alternativ­es and persistent­ly pursue them, including taking airlines to task on social media.

Airlines are assailed with complaints on social media every time there is a spike in flight cancellati­ons and delays, and every time, too many passengers are left bewildered, unsatisfied or even fuming at airlines’ responses. The biggest gripes: lack of meal vouchers or hotel accommodat­ions, a runaround for refunds and no compensati­on for expenses caused by a lost vacation day or workday.

There is a disconnect between what passengers think they are owed and what airlines owe them when flights plans go haywire thanks to a patchwork of federal regulation­s and airline policies.

Some rules, like those covering refunds for cancellati­ons and significant flight delays by the airline, are dictated by the U.S. Department of Transporta­tion. Others, like hotel and meal vouchers and expense reimbursem­ent, are up to individual airline policies spelled out in dozens of pages of legalese known as a contract of carriage. Spirit’s is 54 pages.

“In the United States, you are at the mercy of the contract of carriage,” said William McGee, an aviation adviser to Consumer Reports in August. “In the past 20 years, those contracts have gotten much harder to read, they’ve gotten lengthier, and they’ve gotten much weaker from a consumer standpoint.” Airline passenger rights: Things to know when flights are canceled, delayed

Can I get a refund if my flight is canceled?

Airlines are required by the DOT to offer a refund when they cancel a flight. It doesn’t matter if the reason for the cancellati­on was outside their control, like weather, or within their control, like maintenanc­e issues or flight crew shortages. And it doesn’t matter what kind of ticket you bought, including nonrefunda­ble tickets or basic economy tickets.

Airlines prefer, of course, to automatica­lly rebook you on their next available flight, but you are under no obligation to take it. Keep in mind, though, that a refund might not be instant and probably won’t cover the

cost of a new last-minute ticket unless your original ticket was pricey. So in many cases, the next-available flight might be the least-expensive option for getting to your destinatio­n or back home when things go awry last minute.

If you opt for a refund, you are eligible to get your money back, not just a travel credit or voucher. Airlines are quickest to offer credits and vouchers first, so travelers who want their money back instead often have to take some extra steps. Southwest and Delta, for example, automatica­lly issue travel credit, so travelers who want their money back have to request it.

My flight delay is too long. Can I get a refund?

The same DOT rules apply to significant delays, meaning passengers are eligible for a refund regardless of the cause of the airline’s delay. The only wrinkle here is that airlines’ definitions of “significant delay” vary. American offers refunds for delays exceeding 90 minutes, Delta, Spirit and Alaska two hours, for example.

What if there’s a storm brewing or a weather advisory?

Pay attention to your airline’s website, mobile app or Facebook and Twitter accounts at the first hint of weather trouble. Airlines routinely issue travel advisories, alerts and waivers (the names vary by carrier) ahead of big storms, allowing travelers to move their flight to an eligible earlier or later date to dodge a weather mess.

Airlines also proactivel­y cancel flights ahead of big storms so they don’t strand passengers and crew, so check your inbox regularly for updates from the airline about flight changes.

If you’re already at the airport when the flight is canceled, check out airline self-service options for rebooking. The snaking line at the customer service counter or gate and the airline’s reservatio­ns centers aren’t the only way to book a new flight. Many airlines allow you to rebook your flight (if they haven’t already or you don’t like the flight they picked) on their websites and mobile

apps.

The airline can’t get me on another flight until tomorrow (or later). Do they pay for a hotel?

Here’s where things get trickier and involve those contracts of carriage. Airline policies generally state that they only pay for a hotel if the flight cancellati­on or overnight delay is their fault, and then only if you don’t live in the city you’re stranded in.

Weather, of course, and air traffic control issues are outside of airlines’ control, so passengers whose flights are scrubbed for those reasons generally aren’t given free hotel stays. (Many airlines do offer discounted hotel rates for those impacted by weather cancellati­ons, so be sure to ask.)

How do you know the reason for your cancellati­on?

“I think passengers, quite frankly, have a right to be suspicious,” McGee said. “Airlines are not forthcomin­g on a lot of issues like this.”

At the same time, the former airline flight dispatcher says passengers often don’t understand how weather across the country can have a ripple effect on an airline.

Savvy travelers should jot down gate announceme­nts or conversati­ons with employees about the reasons for the delay as well as screenshot any alerts sent about the delay via text or the airline’s mobile app to plead their case for reimbursem­ent if the airline denies hotel accommodat­ions due to weather.

I can’t wait two days for another flight. Can I fly a different airline?

Stranded passengers are free to check options on other airlines, but whether the airline that canceled the original flight picks up the tab is another question.

Most major airlines, with the notable exception of Southwest, have so-called interline agreements with competitor­s so they can easily transfer passengers over when they don’t have room. But airlines prefer to keep travelers on their flights, so the option isn’t usually offered upfront.

Spirit and other budget carriers don’t have interline agreements. Spirit’s contract of carriage states: “With limited exceptions, Spirit will not reimburse guests for flights that they book on other carriers.”

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 ?? ?? Spirit Airlines passengers waited in long lines at Orlando Internatio­nal Airport before dawn on a Monday morning after a flurry of Sunday flight cancellati­ons.
Spirit Airlines passengers waited in long lines at Orlando Internatio­nal Airport before dawn on a Monday morning after a flurry of Sunday flight cancellati­ons.

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