TRAVEL PROBLEMS · OVERNIGHT DELAYS

Flight delayed overnight? Hotel, meals and what the airline owes you

Whether the airline pays for your hotel depends on who caused the delay and where you are flying. Here is what US airlines have committed to, what European rules require, and which receipts to keep.

By Zo · Updated October 8, 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 the airline yourself is free. Prepared with AI assistance.

The 30-second answer

US flights: no federal law requires a hotel. But when the delay is the airline's fault, most large US airlines have committed to a hotel, transport to it and meal vouchers, and the Department of Transportation publishes who promises what.

Flights covered by EU rules: if you are rebooked for the next day, the airline must provide a hotel, transport and meals. This right to care is set by the length of the delay and is separate from cash compensation.

Either way: ask at the desk first, and keep every receipt if you end up paying.

United States: it depends on who caused the delay

The US Department of Transportation runs a dashboard of what airlines have committed to when they cause a delay. It describes a controllable delay as one caused by the airline, for example maintenance or crew problems, cabin cleaning, baggage loading or fueling. Weather and air traffic control delays are not controllable, so these commitments generally do not apply to them.

What each airline commits to for a delay it caused

Commitment	Alaska	Allegiant	American	Delta	Frontier	Hawaiian	JetBlue	Southwest	United
Rebook on the same airline, no extra cost	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Rebook on a partner or other airline it has an agreement with	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Meal or meal voucher when the wait is 3+ hours	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Hotel for an overnight delay	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ground transport to and from the hotel	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cash compensation for a 3+ hour wait	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Credit or travel voucher for a 3+ hour wait	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Frequent flyer miles for a 3+ hour wait	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No

Source: US DOT Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard (page updated Sep 11, 2025), read October 8, 2026. Commitments can change; each airline's customer service plan has the details. Flying American? See what American Airlines promises.

Two things stand out: none of these airlines commits to cash for a delay, and the hotel commitment is for an overnight delay the airline caused. Your right to a refund is separate: if the delay is significant and you choose not to travel, you are owed your money back whatever the cause. See US airline refund rules.

Europe: the right to care

According to the EU's Your Europe guidance, when your flight is delayed at departure the airline must offer care once the delay reaches:

Flight distance	Care starts after
1,500 km or less	2 hours
Longer intra-EU flights, and other flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km	3 hours
All other flights	4 hours

Meals and refreshments in proportion to the wait, and two free calls or emails.
A hotel, plus transport between the airport and the hotel, if your new departure is at least the day after the original one.
If the airline does not offer it and you pay yourself, it should reimburse expenses that were necessary, reasonable and appropriate. Keep the receipts.
Delayed 5 hours or more? You can choose not to travel and get your ticket refunded, plus a flight back to your starting point if you were mid-journey.

EU rules cover flights departing the EU on any airline and flights into the EU on an EU airline. Cash compensation for the delay itself is a separate right; see the flight delay compensation guide.

Stuck overnight: what to do, in order

Ask the reason for the delay and whether it is the airline's own (maintenance, crew) or weather. Get it in writing or in the app if you can.
Rebook first. Seats on the next flights go quickly. Ask whether the airline will put you on a partner airline if its own next flight is the next day.
Ask for the hotel and meal vouchers at the desk. Name the commitment from the airline's customer service plan if the agent hesitates.
If you book your own hotel, keep it reasonable, keep the receipt, and note the agent's name or the chat message that told you to.
Keep every receipt for meals, taxis and the hotel, and your boarding passes.
Afterwards, submit the receipts through the airline's reimbursement form, and check whether a European compensation claim also applies.

Claiming compensation on top

A hotel and meals are care, not compensation. On flights covered by EU or UK rules, an arrival 3 or more hours late can also mean a fixed cash payment unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. You can claim that yourself for free, or use a claim service that keeps a percentage if it wins.