Thanksgiving flight delayed? Remember: You're probably entitled to an automatic refund

 Bad weather will challenge many travelers this Thanksgiving. Here's what you need to know about getting a refund when your flight is delayed or changed.

This record-setting Thanksgiving travel weekend could turn into a perfect storm of frustration - but flight delays might not dampen the holiday as badly as they used to.

Multiple weather advisories have gone out over the past few days as millions of Americans head to the airport for Thanksgiving travel: Thunderstorms are moving up the East Coast, there are snow advisories for Colorado and Wyoming, and the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday that travelers should expect flight delays at airports in Denver, Salt Lake City, Boston, Dallas, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Seattle, Tampa and Los Angeles, as well as in New Jersey. This follows earlier FAA warnings about potential delays due to a shortage of air-traffic controllers.

Unexpected changes to travel plans can be infuriating - and expensive. A Department of Transportation survey estimated that flight delays cost travelers $2.4 billion in lost time and out-of-pocket expenses in 2019.

Still, fliers stranded at airports this holiday season can take some comfort from new Biden administration rules that went into effect last month, under which they are entitled to automatic cash refunds "when airlines cancel or significantly change their flights, significantly delay their checked bags, or fail to provide the extra services they purchased" and when the passengers do not accept the rebooked flights offered to them, according to the Department of Transportation.

In other words, if you decide to just turn around and go home in that situation, an refund should be automatically issued to you.

In what circumstances do these new rules apply? A flight must be either within the U.S. or to or from a U.S. location, and a "significant" change is defined as a departure or arrival time that is changed by three hours or more for domestic flights or by six hours or more for international flights, for any reason; a departure, arrival or connection at a different airport than originally booked; an increase in the number of connections; a downgrade to a lower class of service; or a switch to a plane that is less accessible to people with disabilities.

Some other things to know: Carriers and ticket agents must inform customers of their right to a refund before offering a rebooking, travel credits, vouchers or other compensation. If the customer rejects or is not offered a rebooking or other form of compensation, they must automatically receive a refund within seven business days for credit-card payments and within 20 calendar days for other forms of payment, "without passengers having to explicitly request them or jump through hoops," according to the Department of Transportation.

The new rules, which are part of President Joe Biden's initiatives to enhance consumer protection, also entitle passengers to a cash refund of their checked-bag fee if their luggage is not delivered within 12 hours of their domestic flight arriving at the gate, or within 15 to 30 hours of their international flight arriving at the gate, as MarketWatch previously reported. And if airlines fail to provide services that passengers paid for - including extras such as wifi, seat selection or in-flight entertainment - they are also entitled to a refund.

Delta (DAL) notes on its website that in the case of a canceled flight or significant delay, passengers won't need to take further action. "If we're unable to rebook you on an alternative flight and you do not rebook on your own or message us within 24 hours after the delayed or canceled flight, we will automatically issue a refund of the unused portion of your ticket and any ancillary fees you paid back to your original form of payment," Delta says. Consumers can find additional details about compensation for delays and cancellations on the carrier's website.

Southwest's (LUV) website states that in the event a flight is canceled, significantly delayed or significantly affected by a schedule change "and you decide not to travel, you are eligible for a method-of-payment refund- even for non-refundable tickets. ... We recommend that you contact Southwest as soon as you know of your change of plans."

Passengers who do not receive a refund, or who believe a carrier is not complying with the new rules, can file a complaint with the DOT Office of Aviation Consumer Protection.

Of course, things often don't go smoothly when passengers are caught up in major delays. Some social-media users have been complaining about their flight changes this week and publicly fighting with airlines for reimbursement, while others have been reminding delayed travelers about this year's new refund rules.

Here's how the holiday delays are looking so far: There were 80 total cancellations within, into or out of the U.S. on Sunday, 68 on Monday, 82 on Tuesday and 28 by noon on Wednesday, according to the real-time flight-data site FlightAware.

The Department of Transportation told MarketWatch it does not have data on how many of those changed flights qualified passengers for automatic refunds. On X, the FAA encouraged travelers to familiarize themselves with their rights by reviewing a DOT tool to help inform customers.

https://www.morningstar.com/news/marketwatch/20241128196/thanksgiving-flight-delayed-remember-youre-probably-entitled-to-an-automatic-refund