US flight cancellation refund checker (DOT rule)
The US has no federal cash compensation for delays (DOT withdrew that proposal in November 2025). But since June 2024, if the airline cancels or significantly changes your flight and you don't accept the alternative or a credit, you're owed an automatic refund.
Official text: US DOT refund rule, 14 CFR Part 260 (2024). Last checked 2026-09-28.
What am I owed?
Instant estimate from the same rules engine Reclamly uses. Nothing is stored and no sign-up is needed.
How much US DOT pays
| Situation | What you get |
|---|---|
| Cancelled, and you don't accept the alternative or a credit | Automatic refund of the ticket |
| Significant change (3h+ domestic, 6h+ international; other airport; more connections; downgrade) | Automatic refund if you don't accept it |
| Delay | No federal cash compensation |
Which flights are covered
- Flights to, from and within the United States.
Eligibility
- Delay length
- A departure 3+ hours earlier or arrival 3+ hours later (domestic), 6+ hours (international), counts as a significant change.
- Timing
- The refund must be automatic: within 7 business days for credit cards, 20 calendar days for other payments, with no processing fee kept.
- Airline size, distance
- Neither affects the refund right.
- Extraordinary circumstances
- The refund right applies whatever the cause, including weather.
Claim deadline
Refunds should arrive automatically. If yours doesn't, file a complaint with the US Department of Transportation. Reclamly charges no fee on DOT refunds.
If the airline says no: US DOT: file a consumer complaint
US DOT by airline
- Alaska Airlines US DOT compensation
- American Airlines US DOT compensation
- Delta Air Lines US DOT compensation
- United Airlines US DOT compensation
Airline pages exist only where US DOT covers the airline's own flights. For other airlines, coverage depends on the route: use the calculator above.
If none of these rules covers your flight, the Montreal Convention (Art. 19) may still let you claim proven costs caused by an international delay, up to 6,303 SDR per passenger, within 2 years.
Frequently asked questions
Do US airlines have to compensate for delays?
Not under federal law. DOT withdrew its delay-compensation proposal in November 2025. Some airlines make their own commitments.
When do I get an automatic refund in the US?
When the airline cancels or significantly changes your flight and you don't accept the alternative or a travel credit.
Official sources
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