Flight delayed in the US: refunds, meals, hotels, what you're owed

No cash payout by law. Refund, meals, hotel: ask.

The answer in 2 lines. Unlike Europe, the US has no law that makes airlines pay cash compensation for a delayed flight: a proposed rule was withdrawn in November 2025, and that's still the case on November 1, 2026. What you can get: a refund if the delay is significant (3 hours or more on a domestic flight, 6 on an international one) and you decide not to travel, and the meals, hotel or rebooking your airline has committed to when the delay is its own fault. If your flight leaves from or flies to Europe, the UK or Canada, those rules may pay you more.

The first 3 steps

Keep everything: boarding pass, booking confirmation, the airline's texts and emails, and receipts for meals, taxis or a hotel.
Ask the agent, or the airline's app or chat, what caused the delay, and note it: a mechanical or crew problem is usually in the airline's control, weather or air traffic control isn't.
Before accepting a voucher or a new flight, decide what you want: rebooking, or a refund if you no longer want to travel.

What the law gives you, and what it doesn't

No cash compensation for delays: the Department of Transportation (DOT) had proposed making airlines pay passengers for long delays caused by the airline, then withdrew the proposal in November 2025 (Washington Times, November 17, 2025, AirlineGeeks, November 14, 2025). As of November 1, 2026, no federal rule requires a cash payout for a delay.
Refund for a significant delay: under DOT's refund rule, if your flight is canceled or significantly changed and you choose not to travel or accept an alternative, the airline must refund the ticket, in the original form of payment, not a voucher. A significant delay means 3 hours or more for a domestic flight and 6 hours or more for an international flight (DOT compliance guide to the refund rule, PDF). Taxes and fees for unused extras are refunded too.
Rule changes under way: in December 2025, DOT paused enforcement of some refund provisions, notably refunds owed only because an airline changed a flight's number (Federal Register, December 5, 2025). A notice published on July 7, 2026 extended that pause, reportedly until July 2027 (Federal Register, July 7, 2026, Eckert Seamans summary). DOT has also signaled in 2026 that it may loosen other consumer rules (Cozen O'Connor alert). We found no change to the 3-hour and 6-hour delay refund as of November 1, 2026, but check DOT's Flight Help page and its latest air consumer news before you file.
Stuck on the tarmac: airlines can't keep you on a plane on the ground more than 3 hours (domestic) or 4 hours (international) without letting you off, with limited exceptions for safety or security, and must give food and water after 2 hours (DOT: tarmac delays).

Meals, hotels, rebooking: the airline's commitments

The big US airlines have written into their customer service plans what they give when a delay is caused by the airline (a mechanical problem, crew, IT): for example a meal voucher for a delay of 3 hours or more, a free hotel and transport when you're stuck overnight, and rebooking on the next flight at no extra cost. Each airline's commitments are listed side by side on the DOT airline cancellation and delay dashboard (details: DOT: airline customer service commitments). Once they're in the airline's plan, DOT can hold the airline to them.

How to use it: open the dashboard, find your airline, and show the commitment to the agent if you're not offered it. If you paid yourself, keep the receipts and ask the airline to reimburse you.
Weather, air traffic control: airlines usually don't owe meals or a hotel, but many still rebook you at no cost.
Coming change: in September 2026, DOT finalized a rule listing 10 causes of disruption, including some maintenance issues, that would no longer count as within the airline's control. It was due to start in October 2026; DOT then pushed it back to 2027, reportedly February 1, 2027 (AirlineGeeks, October 22, 2026, TravelPulse). After that date, you may get fewer meals and hotels for those causes: check DOT's latest air consumer news for the final date.

Flights to or from Europe, the UK or Canada

Leaving from the European Union, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland, on any airline, or flying into the EU on an EU airline: the EU rule (Regulation 261/2004) can give €250 to €600 in cash for an arrival delay of 3 hours or more, unless there were extraordinary circumstances. Claim from the airline that operated the flight.
Leaving from the UK, or flying into the UK on a UK or EU airline: the UK kept its own version of this rule after Brexit, with fixed amounts in pounds; claim from the airline.
Canada: its own Air Passenger Protection Regulations apply to flights to, from and within Canada.
US airlines' own rules apply to the rest of the trip: check where each flight on your ticket departs from.

What not to do

Accepting a travel credit or voucher if what you want is your money back: when you're entitled to a refund, it's in cash or to your card, unless you agree otherwise.
Throwing away meal, taxi or hotel receipts: no receipt, no reimbursement.
Paying a claims company a cut for a US domestic delay: there's no cash compensation to claim; you can ask for a refund or reimbursement yourself, for free.

How to claim, and where to complain

The airline first: use the refund or reimbursement form on its website ("refunds", "feedback" or "customer relations"), attach your receipts, and keep a copy.
No answer, or a refusal you think is wrong: file a complaint with DOT on its air travel complaint page. DOT forwards it to the airline, which must answer you.
Paid by card and the refund never came: you can also dispute the charge with your card issuer, within its deadlines.

Good to know

A refund is owed only if you don't travel or don't accept the alternative offered. If you take the rebooked flight, there's no refund.
Book connections on a single ticket: two separate tickets aren't protected the same way if you miss the second flight.
Turn on your airline's app alerts: you'll know sooner, and rebooking is often faster in the app than in line.

Jordan is flying Chicago to Phoenix. A mechanical problem holds the plane for 4 hours. He checks the DOT dashboard on his phone: his airline commits to a meal voucher for a controllable delay of 3 hours or more. The agent gives him one. Had he decided not to fly, he could have asked for a full refund of his ticket instead.

A made-up story, for illustration.

The numbers (latest published)

3 hours (domestic) and 6 hours (international): delays that count as a significant change under DOT's refund rule, as of November 1, 2026.
3 hours (domestic) and 4 hours (international): tarmac delay limits.
$0: cash compensation required by federal law for a delay, as of November 1, 2026.
DOT publishes delays, cancellations and complaints by airline every month in its Air Travel Consumer Report (latest edition found: October 2026, with August 2026 data; all 2026 editions: DOT Air Travel Consumer Reports 2026).

Bobby

Sources, verification, confidence

Verified on November 1, 2026, for the United States. Confidence: high that there is no federal cash compensation for delays (proposal withdrawn in November 2025) and for the tarmac-delay rule; medium for the refund rules (partly paused by DOT since December 2025) and the airline commitments, which DOT has been revising in 2025–2026, and for the February 1, 2027 start date of the new delay-cause rule, reported by the press: check DOT's Flight Help page and your airline's customer service plan on the day. EU, UK and Canadian rules are summarized only. This guide is general information, not legal advice.