By Sally French | NerdWallet
U.S. airways aren’t required to compensate passengers for flight delays. Refunds are solely assured for completely canceled flights (assuming the passenger opts to not be rebooked by the airline). There’s additionally no authorized requirement for airways to supply further flight delay compensation.
That mentioned, most U.S. airways have pledged to offer further providers or facilities to prospects affected by disrupted flights, as documented within the U.S. Department of Transportation’s customer support dashboard. But these pledged facilities could be semi-stingy. While each main U.S. airline affords meal vouchers for delays of three hours or extra, solely Alaska Airlines guarantees frequent flyer miles.
I’ve had two flight mishaps this 12 months — but each occasions I obtained compensation above what the U.S. authorities requires, and higher than what the airways pledged.
Here’s the script I used to get journey vouchers, bonus miles and a free meal.
Southwest delayed flight compensation: a meal voucher and journey credit score
The first delay I skilled this 12 months occurred as I traveled from Oakland, Calif., to St. Louis on a Southwest Airlines flight that entailed a layover in Denver.
Because the Oakland flight departed late, I (and 20 of my now closest pals looking for the identical connection) arrived minutes after the boarding door closed on the St. Louis-bound flight. Together, we stood and watched our aircraft take off.
Southwest mechanically rebooked us on the subsequent departing flight, however that meant an irritatingly lengthy layover plus a 2 a.m. arrival time in St. Louis.
I beelined to Southwest’s customer support desk, and after exchanging niceties, I mentioned, “I’m going to land nearly three hours late, which means my ride home isn’t going to be able to pick me up. Do you offer any sort of compensation?”
They mentioned they didn’t cowl rides dwelling, so I requested what else they may present.
The agent supplied me a $100 voucher towards future Southwest flights, one thing no airways promise, apart from Alaska Airlines and JetBlue.
I accepted, and as they printed the voucher, I mentioned, “I don’t want to be greedy, but do you offer meal vouchers?”
Southwest’s delay compensation stance is to supply meal vouchers for delays of three hours or extra, plus a resort keep (and floor transportation to that resort) for in a single day delays. Though my delay was slightly below three hours, the agent printed out a $14 voucher, which lined dinner at Panda Express.
United canceled flight compensation: journey credit and miles
My second flight mishap of 2023 fell underneath United Airlines’ July Fourth weekend meltdown. My coach and I have been headed to Colorado to compete on the 2023 USA Weightlifting National Championships when United canceled our flight completely.
While the United cancellation coverage guarantees to guide you on the subsequent accessible flight, the subsequent accessible flight wasn’t for 2 days — after the competitors ended.
Since federal legislation requires airways to refund you for canceled flights (so long as you decide to not take one other flight with them), I shortly purchased two last-minute seats on one other airline. There was no approach I used to be going to overlook the competitors.
After the mud had settled, I filed for and obtained a full refund. United additionally despatched us each (and everybody else caught up within the meltdown) 30,000 United MileagePlus miles, which NerdWallet estimates are price about $360.
But our last-minute flights weren’t low-cost — and I additionally booked an Uber as a result of the resort shuttle had stopped working by our new (delayed) arrival time. So I despatched a message to the United customer support workforce by means of its on-line kind. Here’s what I mentioned:
“Hi there!
My Wednesday flight was canceled and the subsequent accessible choice was Friday. I used to be competing at a weightlifting meet on Friday morning, in order that various wouldn’t have been attainable. Instead, I booked a last-minute flight for my coach and me on Southwest, which was $279.97 per particular person and obtained in at about 2 a.m.
Originally we have been going to take the resort shuttle, however because it stopped working at midnight, I additionally paid $39.62 for an Uber.
I’m requesting compensation of $599.56 (each our airfares plus the Uber) to cowl the unanticipated bills. I do know Southwest supplied compensation for flights on different airways when it had the same cancellation state of affairs in January, so thanks prematurely for offering it to United prospects.”
While United didn’t give me the $599.56 I requested, a customer support rep did situation me a $500 certificates towards future United flights. That was on prime of the airfare refund, plus $720 price of miles between us.
Considering that my out-of-pocket bills to get us there last-minute amounted to about $700, we truly profited off United’s meltdown (assuming we’ll use the United vouchers and miles).
Tips for maximizing delayed flight compensation
Major flight disruptions are virtually inevitable for frequent flyers. In the primary 4 months of 2023, solely 76.49% of flights arrived on time. More particularly, 21.6% of flights have been delayed and 1.7% have been canceled completely, in keeping with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
And whereas my two private anecdotes had a cheerful ending, such outcomes are hardly a assure, significantly within the U.S., which gives few authorized protections for disrupted flights. That’s in distinction to EU flight delay compensation guidelines, the place vacationers are legally entitled to as much as 600 euros (about $660), relying on the delay.
Know what compensation you’re entitled to within the U.S.
Before looking for compensation for delayed flights, perceive what you’re legally entitled to.
For canceled flights: Most airways will rebook you on the subsequent departing flight to your vacation spot at no further price past the preliminary airfare paid.
If you select to not take one other flight on that airline, you’re legally entitled to a refund.
For delayed flights: Airlines should not required to offer flight delay compensation. Compensation is barely required when “bumped” from an oversold flight, in keeping with the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Look to journey insurance coverage
Your journey insurance coverage coverage could assist (when you’ve got one). Many insurance policies provide trip-delay and interruption advantages that may alleviate delay-related prices comparable to meals or resort lodging. While journey insurance coverage sometimes prices additional, you would possibly have already got it as a result of many bank cards present journey insurance coverage on journeys paid for with that card.
Act shortly
If your flight is canceled or delayed, transfer shortly to get rebooked, or make various preparations earlier than seats replenish. You could be competing with all the different passengers in your disrupted flight for a restricted variety of seats on the subsequent departing flight. In conditions like United’s July Fourth weekend meltdown, or the 2022 Southwest meltdown, you could be competing with much more than only one plane full of individuals to get to your vacation spot.
While comparability buying is smart in some conditions, if attending to your vacation spot is important amidst a last-minute disruption, then reserving any flight — assuming it’s in your price range — could be the very best transfer.
Be well mannered
The customer support agent is probably going confused and overwhelmed, so present kindness when asking for assist. I think that’s what labored for me.
In each conditions, I obtained to my locations with some delay, however I felt appropriately compensated due to it. And as soon as I lastly made it to the weightlifting competitors, managing the effort felt price it, as I even medaled at USAW Nationals.
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Sally French writes for NerdWallet. Email: [email protected]. Twitter: @SAFmedia.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”