FLIGHT PROBLEMS · BY AIRLINE
Flight delayed or cancelled? Find your airline
US airlines (American, United, Delta, Southwest, JetBlue, Alaska) promise meals, hotels and rebooking only when the delay is their fault, and none of them pays cash for a delay; only Southwest (a travel voucher), JetBlue (TrueBlue points) and Alaska (a $50 code or points, on request) add anything. EU flights such as Ryanair can owe €250-€600 cash. Pick your airline below for exactly what to ask for. Checked October 13, 2026.
Ad / affiliate disclosure: This page links only to PracticalPivot guides. Those guides contain an AirHelp affiliate link, and I may earn a commission if you use it, at no extra cost to you. Asking the airline yourself is always free, and each guide shows you how. PracticalPivot is not affiliated with any airline. Prepared with AI assistance.
The 30-second answer
Was it the airline's fault? Crew, maintenance and IT problems are "within the airline's control". Weather and air traffic control usually are not. That one question decides almost everything below.
Flying in the US: ask for a meal voucher at 3+ hours, a hotel and ride if you're stuck overnight, and free rebooking. If the flight is cancelled or delayed 3+ hours (6+ international) and you choose not to fly, you're owed a cash refund, even on a basic fare.
Flying from the EU or UK (or on an EU airline into the EU): arriving 3+ hours late for a reason within the airline's control can be worth €250, €400 or €600 (UK: £220-£520) on top of care at the airport.
EU rules change on October 23, 2027. The 3-hour threshold and EUR 250, 400 and 600 stay; long flights 3 to 4 hours late can be paid EUR 300. Details: EU261 reform 2027: what changes.
Pick your airline
| Airline | If the airline caused it, ask for | Cash or voucher for the delay? | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | Meal credit at 3+ hours; hotel + transport if stuck overnight away from home; rebooking, on a partner airline if American has nothing until the next day | No (DOT dashboard: no cash, credit or miles for a 3+ hour delay) | American guide Plan updated Aug 26, 2026 |
| United Airlines | Meal voucher after 3+ hours; hotel voucher + ride if stuck overnight away from home; rebooking, on a partner airline if needed (ask for it) | No | United guide Read Oct 10, 2026 |
| Delta | Meal or voucher at 3+ hours; hotel + transport if stuck overnight; rebooking on another airline Delta has a ticketing agreement with | No | Delta guide Read Oct 11, 2026 |
| Southwest | Meal voucher at 3+ hours; hotel + ride if there's no same-day Southwest flight; next Southwest flight with seats | Yes: a LUV Voucher of at least $75 if you arrive 3+ hours late (claim at Southwest.com/DelayForm) | Southwest guide Missed connection guide Plan eff. Jun 4, 2026 |
| JetBlue | $12 meal voucher at 3+ hours late; hotel if stuck away from home overnight; rebook within 5 days or a full refund | Points, not cash: 5,000 TrueBlue points for a controllable delay of more than 3 hours or a cancellation within 4 hours of departure (TrueBlue number must be on the booking) | JetBlue guide Read Oct 13, 2026 |
| Alaska Airlines | Meal voucher at 3+ hours (2+ to/from Canada); hotel + transport if stranded overnight 100+ miles from home; partner-airline seat if no Alaska flight until tomorrow | On request: a discount code of at least $50 or at least 2,000 Atmos Rewards points for a controllable 3+ hour delay or cancellation | Alaska guide Read Oct 14, 2026 |
| Frontier | A refund of fare, taxes and paid extras if Frontier cancelled or delayed you 3+ hours (6+ international) and you didn't fly; don't click "travel credit" unless you want one | No; Frontier says it doesn't cover hotels or pay compensation, even for mechanical problems | Frontier guide Read Oct 12, 2026 |
| Spirit (stopped flying May 2, 2026) | No care or rebooking: Spirit has shut down and spirit.com is offline. Unpaid refund? Start a card dispute, then travel insurance, then the bankruptcy claims route | No; the bankruptcy claim deadlines have passed for most passengers | Spirit refund guide Read Oct 30, 2026 |
| Ryanair | Meals and a hotel if needed (keep itemised receipts; claim expenses separately) | Yes: €250 (1,500 km or less) or €400 under EU261 if you arrived 3+ hours late and the cause was within Ryanair's control | Ryanair guide Read Oct 12, 2026 |
| easyJet | Meals at 2+ hours (short flights), a hotel if you move to the next day; book your own 3-star room only if easyJet can't, and keep the VAT invoice. A voucher or refund ends hotel and expense cover | Yes: £220/€250 to £520/€600 under UK and EU rules if you arrived 3+ hours late and the cause was easyJet's; claim on its Compensation Claims Portal (lead passenger) | easyJet guide Read Oct 26, 2026 |
| British Airways | Refreshment vouchers once you are 2+ hours late, plus a hotel and transport if the delay runs overnight; if BA can't provide them, keep receipts (no alcohol) and claim them back | Yes: £220, £350, or £260/£520 long haul (3-4 hours vs 4+ hours late) under UK261 when the cause was BA's; US-to-London BA flights count | British Airways guide Read Oct 29, 2026 |
| Lufthansa | Food and drink while you wait, plus a hotel and transport if you are stuck overnight; if Lufthansa didn't provide them, claim food, hotel, transfers and calls back on its form with receipts | Yes: €250, €400 or €600 under EU261 if you arrived 3+ hours late; own-staff strikes still count; US-to-Germany Lufthansa flights included | Lufthansa guide Read Oct 30, 2026 |
| Air Canada (incl. Rouge and Air Canada Express) | Food, drink and Wi-Fi after 2 hours, plus a hotel and transport if the wait runs overnight, when the cause is within its control (safety included) and you were told under 12 hours ahead | Yes: C$400 / C$700 / C$1,000 under Canada's APPR if you arrived 3+ hours late for a reason within its control and not required for safety; claim at sset.aircanada.com within 1 year. Flights from Europe: EU261 €600 instead (not both) | Air Canada guide Read Oct 27, 2026 |
Each row summarizes the linked guide, which quotes the airline's own customer service plan or claim page and the US DOT delay dashboard. Airline plans change; the guide shows the date it was read.
Find your situation
| What happened | Guide |
|---|---|
| Flying Thanksgiving week (Nov 26, 2026) | Thanksgiving flight cancelled: the 2026 checklist |
| Delayed (any airline, EU or US rules) | Flight delay compensation |
| Cancelled | Flight cancelled: refund and compensation |
| Stuck overnight | Flight delayed overnight: hotel, meals, receipts |
| Missed a connection | Missed connection compensation |
| Missed your own United flight (late, no-show) | Missed your United flight: ticket and return flight |
| Missed an American Airlines connection | Missed your AA connection: rebooking, meals, hotel |
| Missed a Delta connection | Missed your Delta connection: rebooking, meals, hotel |
| Bumped from an overbooked flight | Denied boarding compensation |
| Offered a voucher instead of money | Airline voucher vs cash refund and US airline refund rules |
| Bag lost or late | Lost or delayed luggage |
| Flight from the UK | UK flight delay compensation |
| Writing the claim yourself, or an old flight | EU261 claim letter template and How far back you can claim |
What to do (at the airport, in this order)
- Ask the gate or app what caused the delay and screenshot the delay notice. "Crew", "maintenance" or "operational" means the airline's own promises apply.
- Ask for rebooking first (seats go fast), then the meal voucher and, if you'll be stuck overnight, the hotel and transport.
- Not flying anymore? Request a refund, not a credit. Accepting a credit can end your right to the cash.
- Keep every receipt for meals, hotel and taxis you pay for yourself.
- EU/UK flights: after you land, claim compensation from the airline directly (free). A claim service is an option only if the airline refuses or you don't want to deal with it; they take a fee.
Common questions
Do US airlines pay compensation for delays?
No US law requires cash for a delay. American, United, Delta and Frontier offer none; Southwest gives a LUV Voucher of at least $75 when it causes a 3+ hour late arrival, JetBlue gives TrueBlue members 5,000 points for a controllable delay of more than 3 hours, and Alaska gives a $50+ discount code or 2,000+ points on request. All four larger airlines promise meals, hotels and rebooking when the delay was within their control.
Can I get a refund instead of a travel credit?
Yes, in the US, if the airline cancelled your flight or changed it significantly (3+ hours domestic, 6+ hours international) and you choose not to travel. It goes back to your original payment method.
How much is EU261 delay compensation?
€250 for flights up to 1,500 km, €400 for 1,500-3,500 km or longer flights within the EU, and €600 for longer flights, if you arrived 3+ hours late for a reason within the airline's control.