TRAVEL PROBLEMS · US REFUND RULES

Airline refund rules in the US: when you get your money back

US airlines do not owe you cash for a delay. They do owe you a refund in a specific list of situations, and in most of them the refund is supposed to arrive without you asking. Here is the list, the deadlines and the traps.

By Zo · Updated October 7, 2026

Ad / affiliate disclosure: I may earn a commission if you use AirHelp through the link on this page, at no extra cost to you. Asking an airline for a refund yourself is free. Prepared with AI assistance.

The 30-second answer

You are owed a ticket refund when the airline cancels your flight or changes it significantly and you decide not to travel or accept the alternative.

You are not owed one when you take the changed flight anyway, or when you cancel a non-refundable ticket yourself and the flight runs as scheduled.

Timing: 7 business days for credit card purchases, 20 days for other payment methods.

What counts as a significant change

According to the US Department of Transportation, any of these on a flight to, from or within the US gives you the right to a refund if you decline to travel:

Change	Domestic	International
Leaves earlier than scheduled	3 or more hours earlier	6 or more hours earlier
Arrives later than scheduled	3 or more hours later	6 or more hours later
Different departure or arrival airport	Counts, whatever the timing
More connections than you booked	Counts, whatever the timing
Moved to a lower cabin	Full refund if you do not travel; the fare difference if you do

Travelers with a disability also qualify if they are rerouted through different connecting airports, or put on a substitute aircraft that lacks an accessibility feature they need.

How the refund is supposed to reach you

Automatically. If the airline offers another flight or a credit and you reject it or do not respond, the refund must be issued without a request from you.
To your original payment method.
On a deadline. Within 7 business days for credit card purchases. For other payment methods the DOT page gives 20 days; it says calendar days in one place and business days in another, so treat 20 calendar days as the point to start chasing.
With notice. The airline has to tell you about the cancellation or change and about your right to a refund.

Credits and vouchers

An airline may offer a travel credit or voucher instead, but it must tell you a refund is available, disclose any material restrictions, and the credit must be valid for at least five years. Accepting one is your choice. If you take the alternative flight or the credit, the refund right for the ticket is gone. Deciding between them? See voucher or cash refund: which to take.

Fees you can get back too

What you paid for	Refund is due when
Checked bag fee, domestic flight	The bag is not delivered within 12 hours of your arrival
Checked bag fee, international flight of 12 hours or less	Not delivered within 15 hours
Checked bag fee, international flight over 12 hours	Not delivered within 30 hours
Seat selection, Wi-Fi, lounge access and other extras	The service was not provided through no fault of yours, for example broken Wi-Fi or a cancelled flight

For a bag fee refund you must file a mishandled baggage report with the airline. If the bag is lost or damaged, see lost or delayed luggage: what the airline owes you. The DOT lists exceptions, including not picking up a bag that arrived on time and not re-checking a bag at your first US entry point on an international trip.

When you will not get a refund

You flew on the delayed or changed flight, or on the alternative the airline offered.
You bought a non-refundable ticket and chose not to travel, or arrived late, and the flight operated as scheduled.
You flew and the service was poor.

If the airline caused a long delay and you still flew, check its customer service plan for meals or a hotel. That is a separate commitment from the refund rules.

The 24-hour rule

For tickets bought at least 7 days before departure, an airline must either let you cancel within 24 hours for a full refund with no penalty, or let you hold the fare for 24 hours without paying. It does not have to offer both, and it does not have to make free changes such as new dates or a corrected name. The DOT page says this rule does not apply to tickets bought through travel agents or online travel agencies, so check the agency's own policy.

Booked through a travel site?

If the travel agency is the name on your card statement, it is responsible for the airfare refund when a flight to, from or within the US is cancelled or significantly changed. Ask the agency first. Bag fees and fees for extras come from the airline, not the agency.

If the refund does not arrive

Save the cancellation or schedule-change notice and note the date you declined the alternative.
Count the days: 7 business days for a card, 20 for other payments.
Write to the airline (or the agency that charged you) and say you are requesting the refund required by DOT rules for a cancelled or significantly changed flight.
File a complaint with the DOT through its Aviation Consumer Protection complaint form if that does not work.
Paid by credit card? A dispute with your card issuer is a separate route; check your issuer's time limits.

Flying to or from Europe or the UK?

A US refund and European compensation are different things, and one trip can qualify for both. Flights leaving the EU or UK, and flights into them on an EU or UK airline, can carry fixed cash compensation for long delays, short-notice cancellations and denied boarding. You can claim that from the airline for free, or use a claim service that keeps a percentage if it wins.

Check a Europe or UK flight with AirHelp →
Affiliate link. Opens AirHelp's website. AirHelp handles compensation claims; it is not needed for a US refund.