In the event you’ve ever been stranded on the gate with a canceled flight and an apologetic agent, questioning for those who’re entitled to greater than obscure guarantees that the airline will “make it proper,” there’s a device that may assist—and quick.
In September 2022, following a summer season of sweeping travel-related chaos, the U.S. Division of Transportation (DOT) launched an internet site to higher arm vacationers with details about what they’re owed for flight cancellations and delays. Although there have been many adjustments throughout the federal government for the reason that latest administration has taken workplace, this interactive dashboard, often known as the Aviation Client Safety web site, stays. It gives vacationers a bit of transparency—and admittedly, accountability—round how airways deal with delays and cancellations.
Right here’s how to determine what airways owe you for delayed or canceled flights, in 20 seconds or much less.
How the Aviation Client Safety web site works
The Airline Buyer Service Dashboard is accessible on the Division of Transportation web site—although you may attain it quickest by going to FlightRights.gov, the place you’ll robotically be redirected. As soon as there, scroll down till you see Flight Delays & Cancellations and click on the icon.
The device is supposed to assist vacationers discover easy-to-read, comparative info on what sort of refunds or compensation their airline owes them when there’s a cancellation or delay, per a letter former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg despatched to the ten largest U.S. airways in mid-August 2022, earlier than the rollout of the dashboard.
The dashboard compares all the main home airways’ insurance policies on numerous points, together with which airways supply meals for delays of greater than three hours and which provide to rebook flights on the identical or completely different airways at no further cost. As of the time of reporting, all 10 airways supply meal vouchers when a cancellation ends in passengers ready for 3 or extra hours, and all airways will rebook passengers on the identical airline at no further price. Solely Alaska, American, Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue, and United will rebook on a accomplice airline; Allegiant, Frontier, Southwest, and Spirit won’t.
Of all of the airways, Alaska and Hawaiian supply essentially the most beneficiant commitments. Every grants complimentary lodge lodging for passengers affected by an in a single day cancellation, transportation to and from that lodge, and a journey voucher and/or frequent flyer miles when a cancellation ends in a passenger ready three or extra hours from the scheduled departure time. For its half, Frontier gives the least—only a meal voucher and a rebooking on the identical airline.
It’s price noting that the dashboard solely focuses on what it calls “controllable” cancellations or delays—which means these brought on by mechanical points, staffing shortages, or delays in cleansing, fueling, or baggage dealing with. Delays or cancellations brought on by climate or safety issues don’t rely. Nonetheless, with this info, you might be absolutely armed with the information as you converse with an airline agent. No extra settling for $10 to make use of on overpriced granola bars at an airport Hudson Guide while you’re entitled to a lodge room.
Why was the Aviation Client Safety web site created?
The dashboard was solely lately launched within the U.S., whereas in Europe, air passenger protections have been in place for years. Underneath EU rules, vacationers are sometimes entitled to standardized compensation for delays, cancellations, or denied boarding—advantages that go nicely past what most U.S. airways are at present required to supply. Whereas the DOT’s dashboard didn’t create new authorized obligations, it’s a vital shift towards transparency in a rustic the place passenger rights have lengthy been much less outlined.
The dashboard was a part of an prolonged stress marketing campaign from Buttigieg, who, throughout his tenure within the Biden administration, publicly challenged the main carriers to enhance service and transparency—notably after a summer season marred by cancellations and flight delays.
Buttigieg known as the extent of disruption Individuals skilled that summer season of 2022 “unacceptable.” He cited information for the primary half of the 12 months, noting that 24 p.c of flights originating in the US had been delayed and one other 3.2 p.c had been canceled. For context, throughout the entirety of 2022, 20.46 p.c of flights had been delayed by no less than quarter-hour, a quantity that elevated to twenty.48 p.c in 2024, based on the most up-to-date Bureau of Transportation statistics. Canceled flights, nonetheless, dropped from 2.69 p.c in 2022 to 1.36 p.c in 2024, nearly the bottom quantity in a decade, which, on the time, the DOT attributed to elevated consideration from regulatory our bodies and a stronger emphasis on airline accountability.
The brand new device, Buttigieg mentioned in a press release in 2022, would assist vacationers “simply perceive their rights, examine airline practices, and make knowledgeable choices.”
Present DOT guidelines require home airways to supply clients refunds for canceled flights. Nevertheless, what clients are owed for delayed flights hasn’t at all times been straightforward to discern, though the knowledge is federally required to be part of airways’ Buyer Service Plans.
“When passengers do expertise cancellations and delays, they deserve clear and clear info on the providers that your airline will present, to handle the bills and inconveniences ensuing from these disruptions,” Buttigieg mentioned.
At a minimal, the DOT asks that airways present meal vouchers for delays of greater than three hours and lodging for passengers who’ve to attend in a single day at an airport due to disruptions inside a service’s management.
“No matter the reason for the delays or cancellations, the Division expects airways to offer well timed and responsive customer support throughout and after intervals of flight disruptions,” Buttigieg mentioned.
This text was initially printed on September 1, 2022, and was up to date with new info on April 7, 2025.