For a long time, I was lucky. During two decades of travel to more than 43 countries, I experienced only occasional, mild flight delays. But my luck ran out in May, when I was stranded in Miami overnight with no assistance from the airline. The experience pissed me off— and made me research passenger rights when a flight is delayed or canceled. What I learned surprised me, in good and bad ways. And one simple act on my part saved the day and could protect you, too.
Flight Delay Due to Mechanical Problem
You may remember I flew to Anguilla in May and had a fantastic time. But my return flight from Anguilla to Miami on American Airlines was delayed due to mechanical problems. Once we were airborne, the airline concluded I would miss my connecting flight— the last one of the evening— to my home airport. So AA booked me on an alternate flight at 06:00 the next morning— to the wrong airport, an hour’s drive from where I needed to be. To make things worse, the new flight was scheduled to arrive at the start of rush hour in a major city. A cab fare or Uber ride to retrieve my car from the other airport easily would have exceeded $150.
No Help for Missed Connection
As soon as the delayed flight landed in Miami, I tried to rebook myself using the American Airlines app. It didn’t allow changes and directed me instead to American’s toll-free number. But the expected hold time there was 1 hour and 53 minutes. So I headed to the customer service counter and found more than 200 people already standing in line. Even if every customer service representative on duty cleared one person every five minutes, the wait would be over two hours. It was already 22:30. My lodging and alternate flight options were dwindling by the second. So I gave up on the airline and took matters into my own hands.
Handling a Missed Connection
First, I booked a room at the in-terminal hotel before they sold out. Thankfully, Miami has one. Then I bought a one-way ticket on Southwest Airlines for the next morning— to the correct airport. (See why I think Southwest offers the best airline credit card for US travelers.)
Admittedly, I hadn’t yet researched passenger rights when a flight is delayed or canceled. But I missed my connection due to a mechanical problem. It seemed reasonable to think American Airlines would reimburse me for the hotel after stranding me overnight. And since they couldn’t find a new connecting flight to my intended destination, I figured there was a decent chance they’d cover my alternate fare, too.
Refund for Missed Connection?
And initially, it seemed I was right. I called American Airlines before sunrise the next day to relinquish my seat to the wrong airport, so someone else could use it. The representative assured me I would receive a refund for the unused portion of my original fare. He also told me to contact American Airlines’ customer relations department to request reimbursement for the hotel and new connecting flight. So far, so good.
No Compensation from the Airline for Mechanical Delay
But the promised refund never materialized. And when I sought reimbursement for the hotel and new connecting flight from customer relations, they declined my request. Even though the delay was their fault, and the rebooking to the wrong city was their mistake. Instead, American deposited a handful of miles in my frequent flyer account and called it a day. Their cavalier response took me by surprise. And it drove me to research a passenger’s rights when a flight is delayed or canceled. Surely passengers are entitled to some form of compensation under the circumstances?
Airline Obligations for Flight Delays
They are— in Europe! I’ll cover those rules in a future article.
For domestic flights in the United States, though, passengers have very few rights. Airlines must refund the cost of a canceled flight and pay compensation if you’re bumped from an oversold flight. But any compensation for delayed domestic flights has always been at the discretion of the airline. Meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and free rebooking on other airlines are all voluntary. And thankfully, that’s about to change!
New Airline Passenger Rights in 2024
On April 24, 2024, the US Department of Transportation posted its “Final Rule on Ticket Refunds and Consumer Protections,” to be implemented in stages over the course of a year.
Under the new regulation, domestic and foreign airlines must provide prompt, automatic refunds when they cancel or “significantly change” their flights and passengers do not accept the offered alternatives. At the same time, all airlines must promptly refund checked bag fees for “significantly delayed” luggage and any other “ancillary service fees” paid for services not provided (i.e., seat selection, special meals, WiFi and entertainment, etc.).
“Significant changes” to a flight include “departure or arrival times that are more than 3 hours domestically (hoorah!) and 6 hours internationally; departures or arrivals from a different airport (yay!); increases in the number of connections; instances where passengers are downgraded to a lower class of service; or connections at different airports or flights on different planes that are less accessible or accommodating to a person with a disability.”
Baggage fee refunds are due if luggage is not delivered within 12 hours of domestic flight arrival or 15-30 hours of international flight arrival (depending on the length of the flight).
Refunds Required for Flight Cancellations and Significant Delays
Airlines have 7 business days to issue the required refunds— including all taxes and fees— for credit card purchases and 20 calendar days for other payment methods (including flights bought with frequent flyer miles). Even better, airlines may not substitute vouchers, travel credits, or other forms of compensation unless explicitly agreed to by the passenger.
Consumer Guide to Air Travel
The US Department of Transportation publishes a comprehensive Consumer Guide to Air Travel at its website. At the time of this article, the site has not been updated to reflect the new requirements. The new rules will be partially in effect by late October 2024 and fully implemented by the end of April 2025.
If you conclude you have the basis for a complaint against an airline, click here.
Travel Insurance Saved Me
My disappointing experience with American Airlines had two silver linings. First, it led me to discover the upcoming changes to passenger rights for delayed and canceled flights. Secondly, it validated my decision to buy travel insurance for my visit to Anguilla.
I bought the policy from Generali Global Assistance to cover my rental car and any potentially costly medical needs on the remote island. They’re just two of the many good reasons to buy travel insurance. But the policy covered that and a whole lot more— including the expenses resulting from my missed connection in Miami.
(Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you use one of these links to buy something, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.)
Covered with Generali Travel Insurance
Generali’s travel insurance policy cost me just $135 for 7 days. But they reimbursed over $450 in out-of-pocket expenses for my overnight stay in Miami and the new connecting flight. The financial impact on a couple or family would have been significantly greater.
Honestly, I forgot the policy covered me for certain travel disruptions. And when I realized I could file a claim, I expected lots of hoops to jump through and significant delays. Not so!
I filed the claim entirely online at Generali’s website on June 12. Nineteen days later, they reimbursed me for the hotel with a direct deposit into my bank account. At the same time, they asked me to obtain correspondence from the airline confirming the reason for the missed connection and stating I had not already been compensated for the new flight.
I have to give AA credit for providing the documentation promptly. Three days after I submitted the airline’s letter, Generali paid the balance of my claim. That was it!
When American Airlines alienated this frequent flyer, Generali Global Assistance won a grateful and loyal customer. You can bet I won’t forego travel insurance ever again.
Final Thoughts
The extreme weather, crew shortages, and technical glitches that dominate recent news headlines make it clear— flight disruptions are inevitable. No one is immune. But you can protect yourself with this two-pronged approach— know your new rights when a flight is delayed or canceled and always carry travel insurance to cover the unexpected. I’m glad I did.
