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Delayed US flights: which rights apply to you

A flight within the United States gets no delay compensation. A flight between the United States and Europe may.

Updated

Inside the United States

No federal rule requires cash for a delay or cancellation. A refund is owed when the airline cancels or significantly changes the flight, 3 hours domestic or 6 hours international. See US refunds.

Between the United States and Europe

Examples with a 5 hour delay
FlightAirlineResult
New York to AmsterdamDeltaNothing owed under these rules
New York to AmsterdamKLMEU261 EUR 600
Amsterdam to New YorkDeltaEU261 EUR 600
New York to LondonDeltaNothing owed under these rules
London to New YorkDeltaUK261 GBP 520

Your nationality does not matter. The departure airport and the airline do.

Canada

Flights to or from Canada fall under Canada APPR, on any airline.

Check your flight

Where the trip started. For one booking with connections, the first airport.

Where the trip ended: the final destination.

The operating airline, not the one on the ticket. A boarding pass or the flight status page names it.

What happened

At the final destination, when the aircraft door opened.

We read this to explain the result. We never decide whether it counts as extraordinary.

Carried into the claim letter. It does not change the amount.

Results

Enter both airports and the airline to see a result.

Loading the airport list

Choose where the trip started, where it ended, the airline and what happened. The result updates as you type.

Information, not advice

Hours Late is not a law firm and not a claims company. It does not file claims for you. The results are estimates from published rules and the details you enter. They are not legal advice. Airlines and courts decide each case.

Sources