U.S. Delayed Flight Compensation: What Changes in 2027?

U.S. delayed flight compensation changes for flights from January 1, 2027, not October 19. See which delays may stop getting you a meal or hotel.

If an unexpected repair keeps your plane on the ground overnight, airlines such as American, Delta, United, and Southwest promise you a hotel room and a ride to it.

That was set to change on October 19, 2026, but the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has moved the change to flights from January 1, 2027.

From January 1, 2027, a DOT rule says ten causes of flight delays, including unexpected repairs, no longer count as the airline's fault. U.S. airlines promise meals and hotels only for delays that are their fault, so DOT expects them to give you a meal or a hotel for fewer delays. Refund rights stay the same.

Which Delays No Longer Count as the Airline's Fault?

For flights from January 1, 2027, these ten causes of delays and cancellations no longer count as the airline's fault:

A surprise repair that has to be done before the plane can fly (planned maintenance still counts as the airline's fault)
A passenger who gets sick on board
Damage to the plane from extreme weather, objects on the runway, or someone breaking it on purpose
Taking an unruly passenger off the plane
Cleaning the plane after a passenger dies
A government computer system that suddenly stops working
A baggage system the airline doesn't run that stops working
A cyberattack on the airline's computers (if the airline had the required protections in place)
Brakes that get too hot after an emergency
An airport that closes because of strong or sudden winds, or volcanic ash

This is what changes for you when one of the ten causes delays your flight:

What you get when one of the ten causes delays your flight, before and from January 1, 2027. Source: U.S. Department of Transportation.

Airlines can still choose to give you a meal or a hotel for any of these ten causes.

What Airlines Still Have to Give You

The new rule doesn't change any of these rights:

Refund: if the airline cancels your flight, or you would have arrived 3 hours or more late on a domestic flight (6 hours on an international one), you can get your money back if you decide not to take the flight, under DOT's refund rules.
Automatic refund: the airline has to refund you without being asked, within 7 business days to a credit card and within 20 days for other payments.
Tarmac delays: if you're stuck on a plane on the ground, you get a snack and water within 2 hours. After 3 hours (4 on an international flight), the airline has to let you off (unless it isn't safe or air traffic control won't allow it), under DOT's tarmac delay rules.
Bag fee: you get your bag fee back if your checked bag shows up more than 12 hours after a flight within the U.S. lands. On flights between the U.S. and another country, the wait is 15 hours (30 hours if the flight is longer than 12 hours). To get money back, you must file a missing bag report with the airline.
Bumping: if a flight leaving a U.S. airport is overbooked and the airline makes you give up your seat, it has to pay you (as long as you checked in and got to the gate on time). If you arrive 1 to 2 hours late, you get twice your one-way ticket price, up to $1,075. If you arrive more than 2 hours late, you get four times the price, up to $2,150. On international flights, the cutoff is 4 hours instead of 2. DOT's bumping rules are the one case where U.S. law makes airlines pay you on top of a refund.

What Each Airline Promises When It Causes a Delay

The new rule doesn't take away your airline's promises, but it changes which delays they cover. Your airline still has to give you what it promises when the delay is its fault. DOT keeps track of what nine large U.S. airlines promise on its airline cancellation and delay dashboard. Here's what each one promises:

When a delay or cancellation is the airline’s fault, Alaska, American, Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue, and United promise a meal after three hours, a hotel overnight, and a new flight on another airline. Allegiant and Southwest promise the meal and the hotel but not a flight on another airline, and Frontier promises the meal but not the hotel. Alaska and Hawaiian also give travel credit and miles, JetBlue and Southwest give travel credit, and no airline promises cash.

All nine rebook you on their own flights for free, and none of them pays cash for a delay. Frontier is the only one of the nine that doesn't promise a hotel.

What to Do When Your Flight Is Delayed

Here's what to do, in this order:

Ask the gate agent or check your airline's app for the reason, and write it down.
If the reason is crew problems, planned maintenance, cleaning, loading bags, or fueling, ask for the meal voucher or hotel your airline promises.
If the reason is one of the ten causes, ask anyway (on flights before January 1, 2027, they still count as the airline's fault).
Ask to be rebooked before you buy a new ticket, including on another airline if yours promises it.
Take the refund only when you're sure you won't travel.
If an airline doesn't keep its own promises, file a complaint with DOT.

A refund gives you back what you paid weeks ago, but a new ticket bought at the last minute costs far more. A one-way ticket within the U.S. bought two days or less before departure:

Cost about twice as much as the same flight three to five weeks ahead, on a typical route.
Cost more on almost every route, and at least 50% more on three routes in four.

Last-minute flight prices: a one-way domestic flight bought two days or less before departure costs more than three to five weeks ahead on 95% of routes, at least double on 49%, and at least triple on 19%. RatePunk fare data, departures July 15 to October 11, 2026.

How to Protect Yourself Before You Fly

From January 1, 2027, your airline may not pay for a meal or a hotel for some delays, so it helps to have a backup before you leave:

Check your airline's promises: look up what your airline promises on DOT's dashboard before you book. For example, Frontier doesn't promise a hotel, even when a delay is its fault.
Check your credit card: some credit cards pay for meals and a hotel when your trip is delayed, if you bought the ticket with that card. For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve usually pays up to $500 per ticket when a delay lasts more than 6 hours or you have to stay overnight.
Look at travel insurance: trip delay coverage usually pays for meals and a hotel when a covered delay runs long. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners suggests checking whether your credit card already covers you before you buy a plan.
Keep your receipts: save receipts for meals, hotels, and rides during a delay, since your card company or insurer will ask for them.

What Should You Do About the New Rule?

Until January 1, 2027, an unexpected repair and the other nine causes still count as the airline's fault, so your airline's meal and hotel promises cover them. For flights from that date, a meal or a hotel for those causes is up to your airline, but your refund, tarmac, and bumping rights stay the same.

Before you book, check what your airline promises on DOT's dashboard and whether your credit card covers trip delays. If your flight is delayed, ask for the reason, then ask for a meal, a hotel, or a new flight, even when the cause is one of the ten.

Delayed Flight Compensation FAQ

Did the Delay Rule Start on October 19, 2026?

No. DOT first set the rule to start on October 19, 2026, but moved it after airlines asked for more time to update their reporting systems. The rule covers delays and cancellations on flights from January 1, 2027.

Are Airlines in the U.S. No Longer Required to Pay Compensation for Flight Delays?

No. No federal rule requires airlines to pay cash for a delay, and the new rule doesn't change that. What changes is narrower: for flights from January 1, 2027, ten causes of flight delays no longer count as the airline's fault, so the airlines' meal and hotel promises may not cover them. Refunds stay the same.

What Is the New Rule for Canceled Flights?

For flights from January 1, 2027, a cancellation caused by one of the ten causes, such as an unexpected repair, doesn't count as the airline's fault, so you may not get a meal or a hotel. You're still owed a refund if you decide not to travel.

How Long Does a Flight Have to Be Delayed to Get Compensation?

For a refund, 3 hours on a domestic flight or 6 hours on an international one, and only if you decide not to travel. For a meal voucher, every airline on DOT's dashboard starts at 3 hours, when the delay is its fault.

Does Bad Weather Count as the Airline's Fault?

Weather isn't among DOT's examples of delays the airline caused, so airline promises usually don't cover it. For flights from January 1, 2027, damage to the plane from extreme weather is also on the list of causes that don't count.

What About Flights to and from Europe?

EU air passenger rights cover flights from an EU airport on any airline, and flights into the EU on an EU airline. If you arrive 3 hours or more late, you're owed €250 to €600 depending on the distance, unless the cause was outside the airline's control, such as bad weather. On flights over 3,500 km, you get €300 for a delay of 3 to 4 hours and the full €600 from 4 hours.

About the Prices

We looked at one-way economy prices on routes within the U.S. in our fare data, for flights departing July 15 to October 11, 2026. For each flight, we compared the lowest price two days or less before departure with the usual price three to five weeks ahead, on the same route and date. Prices change often, so the ones you see may be different.

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About RatePunk

Reading fares and understanding what makes them move is our area of expertise, and the prices in this article come from our own flight data. We run RatePunk Flights, a paid membership that watches prices out of the airport you fly from. When a route drops well below what it normally costs, the deal shows up in your app and on your dashboard, so you can book it wherever you like, with the airline itself or a travel site you already use.

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