Summer is peak season for flight delays. What travelers must know

The summer travel season is in full swing and sometimes brings with it further flight delays and cancellations.

But depending on the basis cause and the airline's specific policies, travelers could also be out of luck in relation to reimbursement for such disruptions, experts say.

“In the U.S., airlines generally don't really have an obligation to pay you anything at any point,” says Eric Napoli, general counsel at AirHelp, which helps passengers claim compensation for delayed or canceled flights.

Mid-June to the top of August is normally the height season for flight cancellations, said Napoli.

“This summer we will see more aircraft in the sky, frequent bad weather and increased use of U.S. airspace,” says an announcement from the Federal Aviation Administration. Website on summer trips.

According to FAA data through July 21, bad weather has up to now accounted for 66% of all minutes of flight delays. In 2023, the share can be about 72% during this era.

This data probably also includes the worldwide IT outage on July 19, which brought 1000’s of flights to a standstill.

According to the FAA, one other 15 percent of delays this 12 months were resulting from “volume.”

Summer generally brings “higher passenger and flight volumes” as school is out and “millions of Americans” are on vacation, Hayley Berg, senior economist at Hopper, recently wrote in a evaluation of travel interruptions.

According to the FAA, 8 of the ten busiest travel days of 2024 were in June, July and August Data As of Sunday.

In general, airlines have an overriding duty in relation to compensating passengers: If they cancel a flight or make a “significant change” to it, they’re obliged to refund the ticket price and charges – no matter the explanation, in accordance with the US Department of Transportation.

Consumers will only be entitled to a refund in the event that they don’t accept another option offered by the airline, equivalent to rebooking on one other flight, the Department of Transport said.

This obligation also applies to those that have purchased non-refundable tickets.

One essential caveat, nevertheless: The Department of Transportation doesn’t currently define what constitutes a “significant” change. That determination relies on aspects equivalent to the length of the delay and flight, in addition to special circumstances, the agency said.

Starting October 28, airlines may have to issue refunds to their customers “immediately” and robotically, in accordance with a recent rule issued by the Biden administration. A delay of three hours for domestic flights and 6 hours for international flights is taken into account a “significant” change.

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In general, airline compensation policies vary for delays and cancellations.

A dashboard from the Ministry of Transport outlines the guarantees of the main airlines for purchasers within the event of cancellations or delays of greater than three hours. (These airlines include: Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit and United.)

The airlines are obliged to maintain these guarantees, the agency said.

For example, all airlines comply with rebook passengers on the identical airline freed from charge and to supply a free meal if a cancellation means they need to wait at the very least three hours for a brand new flight. Most offer overnight hotel accommodation for delays, but none offer financial compensation for delays of three hours or more.

Importantly, these compensation policies only apply to “controllable” delays and cancellations, i.e. those attributable to the airline's operations. The same obligations may not apply to situations outside its control, equivalent to bad weather.

For example, the spate of delays and cancellations related to last month's global IT outage was classified as a “controllable” event. A failed technical update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike affected Microsoft services utilized by several airlines.

Depending on international regulations, passengers on international flights could have more rights, experts say.

For example, passengers flying to and from Europe generally have more rights to compensation under European Union law, in accordance with AirHelp.

Experts recommend some ways to reduce the likelihood of a flight disruption and higher cope with delays or cancellations in the event that they occur:

• Book the primary flight of the day. According to Berg, flights departing after 9 a.m. are twice as prone to be delayed as flights scheduled between 5 a.m. and eight a.m.
• Avoid connecting flights to scale back the likelihood of disruption. This isn't at all times possible, depending on aspects equivalent to ticket price, airport and destination. If you might have a connecting flight, make sure to allow loads of time for a layover, Napoli said. Travelers should allow at the very least 45 minutes for domestic flights and 90 minutes for international flights, Berg said.
• Build in a buffer day. Leave some “wiggle room” at your destination so that you simply don’t miss any “big” events or plans within the event of a delay or cancellation, advises Berg.
• Fly on days with less traffic. Weekdays like Tuesday or Wednesday are inclined to have less air traffic, Napoli said. Travelers are less prone to experience certain delays and have more available seats in the event that they must rebook. Tickets also are inclined to be cheaper on those days.
• Pack cleverly. Those carrying carry-on luggage or personal items should pack strategically in case of a delay or cancellation, Napoli said. For example, it could be a superb idea to have a change of garments, snacks, electronic devices, valuables and a toothbrush available in case checked luggage is unavailable, he said.
• Multitasking while waiting. In the event of a delay or cancellation, use your time correctly, experts advise. “Walk in line to speak to an airline representative while simultaneously calling the customer support center,” advises Berg. This way, you increase your probabilities of talking to a representative more quickly when multiple passengers are attempting to get through at the identical time.