Where to File a Federal Complaint If Your Airline Refuses to Refund Your Money
Airlines were hit hard last week by the CrowdStrike outage , which initially led to thousands of canceled flights and numerous other delays. Unfortunately, Delta passengers are still experiencing travel disruptions—so much so that the Department of Transportation has stepped in to determine whether consumer rights are being respected.
If you’ve been impacted by recent disruptions, you may be eligible for a hassle-free refund from your airline. In April 2024, the DOT finalized a new rule requiring airlines to automatically issue refunds to passengers in certain cases of delays, flight cancellations and checked baggage issues.
Under the rule, which went into effect June 25, passengers are entitled to a full refund for canceled or “significantly changed” flights, which include the following:
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Departure or arrival delays of more than three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international flights.
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Changing the airport location upon departure or arrival
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Increased number of connections
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Booking class downgrade
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Changes that reduce accommodations or accessibility for travelers with disabilities.
Passengers may also receive a refund of the checked baggage fee if their baggage is not delivered within 12 hours of arrival on domestic flights and within 15 to 30 hours of arrival on international flights (depending on flight length) or if they do not receive a paid service. (such as Wi-Fi or seat upgrades).
A full refund must be issued automatically (meaning customers do not need to take any action to request it) to the original form of payment within seven business days for flights purchased with credit cards and 20 calendar days for all other forms of payment.
It’s important to know what compensation you’re entitled to receive —don’t automatically accept vouchers or other forms of resolution if you’re eligible for a refund, as doing so could negate the federal protections of the new rule.
How to File a Federal Complaint for an Airline Refund
If you have not received a full refund in a timely manner or have another complaint related to your booking, you should attempt to resolve the issue directly with the airline by contacting customer service.
(As a reminder, an “automatic” refund can take anywhere from seven business days to 20 calendar days, so don’t panic if you don’t see it right away.)
Once you have exhausted all of the airline’s options, or if the airline bothers you or does not even acknowledge the problem, you can fill out the DOT Airline Complaint or Comment Form . The form, which can be submitted by a passenger or a relative (such as the parent of a minor child), a lawyer or travel agency on behalf of the passenger, allows you to describe the problem with your itinerary and upload supporting documents. your claim.
While this may not speed up refunds, DOT forwards complaints to each airline and is more likely to take action to hold them accountable if consumers stand up for their rights.