New federal rules guarantee automatic cash refunds for passengers facing flight cancellations and delays

New federal rules guarantee automatic cash refunds for passengers facing flight cancellations and delays - Defining Significant Disruptions: What Triggers an Automatic Cash Refund?

Look, we've all been there, staring at the departures board, wondering if that three-hour delay is just an annoyance or something that actually means we get our money back without a fight. So, what actually flips the switch for an automatic cash refund? It really boils down to hard numbers, which I appreciate because that cuts through all the airline jargon. If your domestic flight gets bumped by three hours, that’s 180 minutes, and you’re looking at an automatic payout back to whatever card you used, not just some useless voucher you might never use. For international travel, that threshold jumps to a full six hours—that’s 360 minutes—before the automatic refund kicks in. But here’s the part people miss: it’s not just about the delay time itself. If the airline drastically alters the itinerary, like suddenly forcing a connection where there wasn't one before, that counts as a significant change triggering the refund. And think about it this way: if you paid extra for seat upgrades or onboard Wi-Fi and then those services aren't provided because of the disruption, you’re entitled to get that specific fee back automatically, too. Even delayed checked bags—if they show up seriously late—can trigger a refund on the baggage fee you paid the carrier. The key is that this rule is pushing for the money back to the original payment method unless you actively say, "Sure, give me the credit instead."