Refunds + up to €600
Flights & travel
Canceled or badly delayed flight? U.S. rules now require automatic cash refunds, and flights to or from Europe can add up to €600 per person in compensation. Deadlines, forms, and what airlines don't tell you.
- FlightsFlight canceled or significantly delayed? You're owed a cash refund, automatically (DOT rule)Since October 2024, U.S. airlines must refund your ticket in cash, not a voucher, when they cancel your flight or change it significantly and you don't take the alternative. What counts as "significant", the 7-day deadline for refunds, bag-fee and extras refunds, and what to do when the airline pushes credit instead.
- FlightsFlew to or from Europe? You may be owed up to €600 per person (EU261 for Americans)European law pays fixed cash compensation for flight delays of 3+ hours, cancellations, and overbooking: €250, €400, or €600 per passenger, on top of any refund. Which flights qualify (including U.S. airlines departing Europe), how to claim for free, and when a no-win-no-fee service makes sense.
- FlightsBumped from a flight? Airlines owe you up to $2,150 in cash (denied boarding rules)If an airline oversells and you're involuntarily denied boarding, federal law entitles you to cash compensation of 200% or 400% of your one-way fare, capped at $1,075 or $2,150, paid the same day. How it works, what to say at the gate, why you shouldn't take the voucher, and how to negotiate if you volunteer.
- FlightsLost, delayed, or damaged baggage: airlines owe up to $4,700 (and must refund your bag fee)On U.S. domestic flights airlines are liable for up to $4,700 per passenger for lost, delayed, or damaged checked bags; on international flights about $2,000 under the Montreal Convention. What to do at the airport, the deadlines, what "reasonable expenses" you can claim while you wait, and how to get your checked-bag fee refunded.
- FlightsHow to file a DOT complaint against an airline (5 minutes, and airlines must answer in 60 days)The Department of Transportation complaint is the fastest free lever against an airline that won't refund, pay bumping compensation, or settle a baggage claim. What it does, what to write, what to attach, and what to do if the airline still says no.
Your rights when a flight goes wrong
U.S. passengers are protected by federal rules from the Department of Transportation, and flights to or from Europe add a second, more generous layer.
- Refunds (U.S. rule): if an airline cancels your flight or changes it significantly and you don't accept the alternative, you're owed a cash refund to your original payment method, even on non-refundable tickets. Bag fees and paid extras you didn't get are refundable too.
- Bumping: if you're denied boarding involuntarily on an oversold flight, federal law requires cash compensation of up to $2,150, depending on the delay and your fare.
- Lost, delayed, or damaged bags: airlines are liable up to about $4,700 per passenger on domestic flights and about $2,000 internationally, plus reasonable expenses while you wait.
- Europe (EU261 / UK261): flights departing the EU or UK, and flights into them on European airlines, pay fixed compensation of €250 to €600 per passenger for long delays, cancellations, and overbooking, in addition to any refund.
Where to complain
Start with the airline in writing and keep the case number. If it refuses or doesn't answer, a DOT complaint is free and airlines must respond. For card purchases, a chargeback is a strong backstop for refunds. The guides below walk through each case step by step.