New U.S. Department of Transportation rules mandate that airlines provide prompt and automatic refunds to passengers who have experienced significant delays.

As part of the rules, airlines have a maximum of seven days to automatically provide refunds for tickets purchased on credit and 20 days for those made with other forms of payment, like cash or air miles, when flights are canceled, delayed, or substantially changed.

Previously, airlines were permitted to define what constituted a “significant” delay.

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As detailed in The Dallas Express, the new rules state that flights are considered “significantly changed” when the arrival or departure time is altered by at least three hours on domestic flights and six or more hours on international ones.

Other “significant” changes that can prompt a refund include:

  • Having to fly in or out of an airport different than the one booked
  • Having to connect through different airports
  • Having more connections than initially disclosed
  • Being seated on a different, less accessible aircraft for those living with a disability
  • Not receiving paid services, like seat selection or Wi-Fi

Had the new rules been active in 2023, travelers flying out of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport would have been entitled to $267 million in refunds, more than any other airport in the country. This year alone, the airport is expected to serve 87.3 million passengers, growing to 107.1 million by 2029.

Since the new rules require automatic refunds, passengers are not required to complete potentially cumbersome paperwork. Travelers may also be entitled to refunds for lesser inconveniences, like downgrades to a lower service class.

The new rules also state that fees paid for checked luggage must be refunded if bags are missing for more than 12 hours for a domestic flight or more than 15 hours for an international flight. In this scenario, however, passengers must complete a mishandled baggage report.