If you travel often by plane, delays are inevitable. However, how airlines handle delays can vary depending on the circumstances of the delay, including the rationale, town, and even the passenger's frequent flyer status.
In Europe, the difficulty of passenger compensation for delays and cancellations is evident: within the European Union, there are consumer protection laws that require airlines to compensate passengers in money for delays over which they’ve control.
Unlike within the European Union, the United States has no standards for what airlines must provide passengers within the event of a delay or cancellation. In the United States, each airline decides for itself the right way to accommodate passengers affected by what airlines call “irregular operations,” and the Department of Transportation (DOT) oversees their efforts.
This almost never includes financial compensation, although some airlines, equivalent to Alaska, will issue travel credits for delays of greater than three hours when the circumstances are inside their control. The U.S. Department of Transportation has stated that airlines should cover passengers' costs for longer delays which might be inside their control, but each airline has its own criteria for processing such requests.
Types of delays
The first consideration airlines should have in mind when deciding whether to issue a meal or hotel voucher is the explanation for the delay. Most airlines is not going to issue vouchers or reimbursement for delays they consider to be beyond their control, equivalent to those brought on by weather, air traffic control measures, or disasters equivalent to earthquakes or volcanic eruptions. Another uncontrollable explanation for delay is so-called acts of God, equivalent to a general strike, riot, or coup that will jeopardize the protected operation of the flight.
In the past, airlines have argued in vain that some situations are force majeure, equivalent to the recent IT outages that affected many U.S. airlines. But regulators largely disagreed, viewing these delays as controllable, including reasons equivalent to crew scheduling, aircraft availability, unplanned maintenance and other things inside the airline's control.
Some airlines will provide the rationale for a delay of their app or website, while others will make announcements. It is value noting that not all airlines disclose the explanations for delays. American Airlines, for instance, doesn’t provide reasons for delays in its app or website, while United often explains them on its flight status page.
When you must ask for a voucher
The circumstances under which U.S. airlines issue vouchers for meals or overnight stays vary. In the case of delays, you must first check the airline's customer support statement, which is normally posted on its website. This document typically lists the circumstances under which an airline will issue vouchers.
Generally, a delay should be significant — several hours or more — and controllable for an airline to issue a voucher. Some, like United, routinely send passengers vouchers via text message or their mobile app if their reservation features a legitimate flight delay. In other cases, passengers may have to inquire if a voucher applies to their situation — American's customer support commitment states that these reliefs can be found “upon request.”
If a staff member is unable to issue a voucher, it’s perfectly advantageous to ask why. Staff members should offer to clarify the content of the shopper service obligation when asked. It can also be sensible to ask again if a delay is prolonged, as sometimes a delay that was initially uncontrollable (e.g. weather) can produce other reasons (e.g. crew accommodation).
Many airlines will even reimburse “reasonable” costs if they can’t issue vouchers or issuing a voucher can be difficult (for instance, if the road to see a representative is so long that half of an available hotel night is lost). This generally means meals for meal times in the course of the delay and, if the delay is overnight, a close-by hotel and transportation between the airport and hotel. Airlines often allow passengers to submit receipts for reimbursement after travel.
Terminology is vital
Using the proper words can save time and hassle when talking to airline staff, whether on the airport or in post-trip correspondence. Many travelers are inclined to use the terms “refund” and “reimbursement” interchangeably, but within the context of air travel, they mean various things.
A refund implies that you will likely be given back the cash you paid for the airline ticket. Airlines will often only refund a non-refundable ticket if the flight is delayed or cancelled and so they are ultimately unable to get passengers to the destination stated on their ticket. Refunding an airline ticket is rare since the service paid for by the passenger was provided, albeit delayed.
A refund means getting back the cash you paid for costs associated along with your delay, other than your original flight ticket. Suppose you incur costs for food, transport and accommodation during a controllable delay and the airline was unable to issue a voucher (but didn’t refuse to achieve this). In this case, you might be asking for a refund, not a reimbursement.
Originally published:
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