Answer what happened to your flight and whether you accepted a rebooking or voucher to see whether you are likely owed a refund, not likely owed one, or whether it depends - with the expected refund timing and next steps, grounded in U.S. DOT rules.
About the flight refund eligibility checker
The flight refund eligibility checker helps you see whether you are likely owed a cash refund after your flight was canceled, significantly changed, or delayed - before you accept a voucher or rebooking. Answer a few quick questions about what happened, whether you accepted an alternative, how you paid, and where you bought the ticket, and the tool returns one of three plain-language results: likely entitled to a refund, likely not entitled, or it depends. Each result includes the expected refund timing, who issues the refund, a short next-step checklist, and a link to the U.S. Department of Transportation source.
This is an educational estimate based on U.S. DOT rules, not airline-specific or legal advice. The rules follow DOT guidance, including the 2024 final rule on automatic refunds and the 24-hour booking rule; your airline's contract of carriage may add protections but cannot remove a DOT-required refund. The tool runs entirely in your browser. It does not collect passenger names, ticket numbers, confirmation or record-locator codes, passport numbers, emails, or phone numbers, and it never connects to your booking. Always confirm with the airline before you accept a voucher or give up a refund.
How to use
- Choose what happened to your flight: canceled, changed, delayed, or you canceled.
- If it was changed or delayed, choose how big the change or delay was.
- Say whether you accepted a rebooking or a voucher.
- Optionally add how you paid and where you bought the ticket to refine the timing and who issues the refund.
- Read the result, the refund timing, and the next-step checklist, then confirm with the airline.
Worked examples
Likely entitled: airline canceled, nothing accepted
When an airline cancels your flight and you do not accept a rebooking or voucher, DOT requires an automatic refund to your original form of payment.
Likely not entitled: you accepted a voucher
Accepting a travel credit or voucher generally gives up the right to a cash refund. You can still ask, but DOT does not require one once you accept.
It depends: you canceled the trip
A passenger-initiated cancellation is fare-dependent. The main exception is the 24-hour rule: book 7 or more days before departure and cancel within 24 hours of booking for a full refund.
Frequently asked questions
- When does DOT require an airline to refund me?
- When the airline cancels your flight, or makes a significant change or delay that you decline, and you do not accept a rebooking or voucher, DOT requires an automatic refund to your original form of payment. A significant change is generally 3 or more hours domestic, 6 or more hours international, a downgrade, an added connection, or an airport change.
- What counts as a significant change or delay?
- Under the DOT 2024 rule, a significant change includes a departure or arrival time that moves by 3 or more hours for a domestic flight or 6 or more hours for an international flight, a downgrade in class, an added connection, or a change of departure or arrival airport. A significant delay is treated the same way when you choose not to travel.
- I already accepted a voucher. Can I still get a refund?
- Once you accept a rebooking or a voucher, you generally give up the right to a cash refund. You can still ask the airline, but DOT does not require a refund after you accept the alternative. That is why it helps to check before you accept.
- How fast must the refund arrive?
- DOT requires refunds within 7 business days for credit-card payments and within 20 calendar days for cash, debit, or check, measured from when the airline receives a complete refund request. Award tickets are refunded by restoring your miles or travel credit.
- What if I bought through a third-party site or travel agent?
- Under the DOT 2024 rule, the ticket agent that took your payment is responsible for the refund, so start there and escalate to the airline if needed. Keep records of your request and the date you made it.
- Is this legal advice?
- No. This is a free educational estimate based on U.S. DOT rules. It is not airline-specific or legal advice. Your airline's contract of carriage and fare rules can add protections, so always confirm with the airline.
- Does it store anything I enter?
- No. The checker runs entirely in your browser. It collects no passenger names, ticket numbers, confirmation codes, passport numbers, emails, or phone numbers, and it never connects to your booking.
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