Traveling during the holidays can be stressful.
Flight cancellations and severe delays can upend even the most painstaking plans. While the flight restrictions stemming from this fall’s government shutdown are no longer in effect, New Yorkers and tourists may still face travel disruptions.
Here’s what you should know if you find yourself stranded at the airport.
You might be eligible for compensation
If an airline cancels your flight and you don’t accept travel credits, a voucher or another type of compensation, you are entitled to a refund, according to the New York attorney general’s office. Airlines may also offer other forms of compensation.
You could be entitled to a range of different services, depending on the airline’s policy and your individual circumstances. The U.S. Department of Transportation has a dashboard where you can see which services different airlines provide in the event of a cancellation or delay caused by circumstances within the airline’s control.
Many airlines offer to rebook travelers on the same airline at no additional cost and meal vouchers for cancellations and delays within their control that leave travelers waiting for three or more hours. Some offer a free hotel stay for an overnight cancellation and transportation between the hotel and the airport.
If your checked luggage is lost or has not been delivered to you within a certain number of hours, you may be eligible for a refund for the baggage fee, according to the attorney general’s office.
Airlines must also compensate you for the value of the items you lost, up to a certain limit, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. You may also be entitled to compensation if your flight is overbooked and you get bumped.
Airlines are required to provide a written explanation to passengers who get bumped, according to the attorney general’s office.
The federal government has rolled back some proposed protections
There are no federal requirements for what services airlines must provide when their customers are stuck at the airport, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Under President Joe Biden’s administration, the federal transportation department sought public input for a new policy that would have required airlines to provide monetary compensation and other support for travelers who experience flight cancellations and extended delays.
Consumer protection groups praised the proposal, while the International Air Transport Association estimated that it would cost airlines more than $5 billion a year without resolving the root causes of cancellations and delays.
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump’s administration announced that it would no longer pursue the airline passenger rights policy.
The administration cited an executive order, “Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation,” which instructs federal agencies to avoid expensive and burdensome regulations that are deemed unnecessary.
Several Democratic senators proposed a new federal law earlier this month that would require airlines to give their customers cash and rebook them for free when the airline causes a cancellation or extreme delay.
Airlines would also have to reimburse travelers for meals, hotels and transportation to lodging. The measure would establish a baseline standard for compensation of $300 for a delay that’s longer than three hours and $600 for a delay of six or more hours.
You can file a complaint online
If your flight is canceled or delayed for hours, you can submit a complaint to the attorney general’s office. The online form will require you to provide some information about yourself and your experience, including your flight details.
