Are you entitled to compensation if your flight is delayed or canceled?

New rules will soon require airlines to issue automatic refunds for canceled flights

Woman sitting on her luggage in airport terminal, waiting for a delayed flight
In April 2024, the Department of Transportation announced a new series of protections for air travelers. These rules will take effect in October.
(Image credit: izusek / Getty Images)

Having a flight delayed or flat-out canceled — whether that is due to weather, aircraft issues or an unexpected tech outage — is an obvious inconvenience. But can you actually get anything for all your trouble? 

As it turns out, you can. "In April 2024, the Department of Transportation announced a new series of protections for air travelers, including automatic refunds for canceled flights and, in some cases, flight delays," said U.S. News & World Report. These rules will take effect on Oct. 28. 

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Becca Stanek, The Week US

Becca Stanek has worked as an editor and writer in the personal finance space since 2017. She previously served as a deputy editor and later a managing editor overseeing investing and savings content at LendingTree and as an editor at the financial startup SmartAsset, where she focused on retirement- and financial-adviser-related content. Before that, Becca was a staff writer at The Week, primarily contributing to Speed Reads.