If you travel by air enough, delays are inevitable. However, how airlines handle delays can vary depending on the circumstances of the delay, including the reason, city and even the passenger’s frequent flier status.
In Europe, the question of passenger compensation for delays and cancellations is straightforward: the European Union has consumer protection laws that require airlines to compensate passengers in cash for delays within the airline’s control.
Unlike in the European Union, the U.S. has no standard for what airlines must provide passengers in case of a delay or cancellation. In the United States, each carrier decides how to accommodate passengers affected by what the airlines call “irregular operations,” and the Department of Transportation oversees its efforts.
That virtually never includes cash compensation, although some airlines, like Alaska, will issue travel credit for delays over three hours for circumstances within their control. The DOT has said airlines should cover passenger expenses for lengthy delays within the airlines’ control, but each airline has its own criteria for handling such requests.
The first consideration for airlines deciding whether to offer a voucher for meals or hotels will be what caused the delay. Most airlines do not provide vouchers or expense reimbursements for delays they term uncontrollable, such as those related to weather, air traffic control, or catastrophic events like earthquakes. Another uncontrollable delay cause is what’s known as force majeure, which could be like a general strike, riot or coup that would compromise safe operations.
Airlines have, in the past, unsuccessfully argued that some situations, like the most recent IT outages that affected many U.S. airlines, were force majeure, but regulators have largely disagreed and considered those controllable delays, which also include reasons such as crew scheduling, aircraft availability, unscheduled maintenance and other things within an airline’s control.
Some airlines will list the reason for a delay on their app or website, while others will make announcements. It’s worth noting that not all carriers are forthcoming on the reasons for delays. American Airlines, for example, doesn’t give reasons for delays in their app or on their website, while United explains on their flight status page.
U.S. carriers vary on the circumstances under which they’ll issue a voucher to cover a meal or a hotel overnight stay. In a delay situation, the first place to look would be the airline’s Customer Service Commitment, which is normally posted on its website. That document typically outlines the situations under which an airline will issue a voucher.
Generally speaking, a delay must be significant — several hours or more — and controllable for an airline to issue a voucher. Some, like United, will automatically send vouchers to passengers via text or through their mobile app if their reservation contains an eligible flight delay. Other times, passengers may need to inquire if a voucher applies to their situation — American’s Customer Service Commitment states that these accommodations are available “on request.”
If an agent cannot issue a voucher, it’s perfectly OK to inquire why. Agents should offer to explain the contents of the Customer Service Commitment when asked. It can also be worthwhile to check back if a delay lengthens, as a delay that started out uncontrollable (weather, for example) can sometimes snowball into other reasons.
