Airlines Contracts of Carriage

Here are the American Airlines rules. These are part of the customer service plan, not the legal contract of carriage.

Note the undefined term “significant delay.” Also, note that these amenities begin with flight cancellation. Also, note that no amount is listed for meal vouchers, and the hotel’s promises include “reasonable” hotel and transportation costs.

Here are the American Airlines rules. These are part of the customer service plan, not the legal contract of carriage.

Note the undefined term “significant delay.” Also, note that these amenities begin with flight cancellation. Also, note that there is no amount listed for meal vouchers and that hotel promises include “reasonable” hotel costs and transportation costs.

I have a non-refundable ticket; can I still get a refund? Expand

We don’t refund cash for non-refundable tickets. However, we may refund a non-refundable ticket if:

• You cancel within 24 hours from the time you first buy your ticket, and bought your ticket at least 2 days before departure
• There is a schedule change of 3 or more hours (domestic) or 4 or more hours (international) and you decide not to travel
• There is a schedule change of 90 minutes or more within 72 hours of your scheduled departure time and you decide not to travel
• There is death of the passenger / traveling companion
• Military orders / change in duty

U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) rules allow you to get a refund if your flight is significantly disrupted and you decline our rebooking offers, even if you bought a non-refundable ticket.

Significant flight changes and cancellations

Refunds will be made to the original form of payment. Supporting documents may be required.

If you bought your ticket through a travel agency or another booking source, contact them for a refund.

Request a refund

Refund requests must be submitted while your ticket is valid – 1 year from the ticket issue date. We will not process refunds on expired tickets. Request a refund Opens another site in a new window that may not meet accessibility guidelines.

Can I get a refund for my Basic Economy fare ticket?

You have 24 hours from the time you first buy your ticket to cancel for a refund if you booked at least 2 days before departure. After 24 hours, refunds to your original form of payment are not allowed.After 24 hours:If you’re an AAdvantage^® member and cancel your flight, you may be able to receive a Trip Credit, minus a Basic Economy cancellation fee. To qualify, your AAdvantage^® number must be included in your reservation before canceling and your trip must be:

• Booked in the U.S. directly through American
• On an American Airlines marketed and operated flight starting in the 50 U.S. states
• Canceled on aa.com or in the American app before your first flight departs
• If you cancel a trip that has already begun, the ticket loses any remaining value and cannot be used for future travel.Ticketing and other fees U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) rules allow you to get a refund if your flight is significantly disrupted and you decline our rebooking offers, even if you bought a non-refundable ticket.Significant flight changes and cancellations

Delta Air Lines spells out its force majeure exceptions in its contract of carriage:

Except as provided above, Delta shall have no liability if the flight cancellation, diversion or delay was due to force majeure. As used in this rule, “force majeure” means actual, threatened or reported:

(1) Weather conditions or acts of God;
(2) Riots, civil unrest, embargoes, war, hostilities, or unsettled international conditions;
(3) Strikes, work stoppages, slowdowns, lockout, or any other labor-related dispute;
(4) Government regulation, demand, directive or requirement;
(5) Shortages of labor, fuel, or facilities; or
(6) Any other condition beyond Delta’s control or any fact not reasonably foreseen by Delta.

The Delta Air Lines Contract of Carriage only provides affected passengers, when accommodations are not available, with a voucher that may be applied to future travel on Delta equal in value to the contracted hotel rate, up to US$100. For other services available check the Contract of Carriage RULE 19: FLIGHT DELAYS/CANCELLATIONS.

Providing you assistance if your flight is delayed or canceled

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, travel plans are disrupted. When that happens, we’re committed to giving you good customer service while we work to get you where you need to go as quickly as we can. Here are some of the things we will do if your flight is delayed or canceled:

• We’ll give you the most up-to-date information about your rebooking options through united.com, the United app, at airport kiosks, or through our airport and contact center agents.
• We’ll get you on the next flight we have with available seats in the same cabin you’re traveling in at no additional cost. If your cancellation or delay is caused by something within our control and a United flight is unavailable until the next day, you can ask us and we will book you on a partner airline’s flight at no additional cost if they have seats available in the same cabin for our customers.
• For cancellations or delays within our control, like mechanical issues, that result in your waiting for more than three hours, we’ll give you a digital or printed meal voucher. This voucher can be used for the reasonable cost of a meal at airport food vendors. If you don’t automatically get one, just ask us.
• When a delay or cancellation within our control, like a mechanical issue, keeps you away from your home city and you need to stay overnight, we’ll give you digital or printed hotel vouchers that can be used at a partner hotel. If we’re unable to offer you a hotel voucher because a room at one of our hotel partners is not available, and you find and pay for a different place to stay, you can submit your receipt to our Customer Care Team, and we’ll reimburse you up to $200. We will provide a higher reimbursement amount if you demonstrate that a reasonable cost for a hotel is higher than $200 for that location.
• If you stay the night at a hotel nearby because of a delay or cancellation within our control, and the hotel doesn’t provide a shuttle or ride from the airport, we’ll give you a voucher for the reasonable cost of a ride to the hotel.

If we’ve offered you any of these services, you’re free to turn us down. But if you do, we won’t pay you back for any meals, hotels, or other services you choose to find and pay for yourself. If you are outside the U.S., relevant local laws may also apply.

Southwest Airlines Customer Service Plan dealing with Southwest Airlines-initiated flight delays, cancellations

During flight delays that are within our control of three (3) or more hours and/or Southwest-initiated cancelations that are within our control that result in a wait of three (3) or more hours for a flight at the airport, we will provide a meal voucher upon request at the airport for participating vendors within the airport or, if participating vendors and/or vouchers are not available, we will honor reasonable requests for reimbursement for meals purchased during such irregular operations. Additionally, we may provide complimentary snacks and beverages for Customers.

If Southwest flight accommodations departing on the same day to your intended destination or applicable co-terminal city are not available following a flight delay or Southwest-initiated cancelation that is within our control (e.g., mechanical problems, aircraft swap), resulting in an overnight delay or stay, we will arrange lodging accommodations upon request if available, or will honor reasonable requests for reimbursement for lodging accommodations (provided you do not reside locally). If the lodging accommodation we arrange does not provide shuttle service to/from the airport, we will offer a voucher upon request or honor reasonable requests for reimbursement for ground transportation.

For significant flight delays or Southwest-initiated cancelations that are not within our control (e.g., weather, Air Traffic Control, safety/security-related events, FAA-required crew duty limitations, infrastructure/utility problems), we will rebook you on the next available Southwest flight(s) with seats available to the Customer’s ticketed destination at no additional cost. If you choose not to travel due to a significant delay and/or cancellation, Southwest will issue a refund of the unused portion of your Southwest ticket upon request in accordance with our Contract of Carriage.

Although we do not offer complimentary lodging accommodations for significant flight delays or Southwest-initiated cancelations that are not in our control, we will seek to arrange a discount off of a lodging accommodation near the airport.

Delta Air Lines spells out its force majeure exceptions in its contract of carriage:

Except as provided above, Delta shall have no liability if the flight cancellation, diversion or delay was due to force majeure. As used in this rule, “force majeure” means actual, threatened or reported:

(1) Weather conditions or acts of God;
(2) Riots, civil unrest, embargoes, war, hostilities, or unsettled international conditions;
(3) Strikes, work stoppages, slowdowns, lockout, or any other labor-related dispute;
(4) Government regulation, demand, directive or requirement;
(5) Shortages of labor, fuel, or facilities; or
(6) Any other condition beyond Delta’s control or any fact not reasonably foreseen by Delta.

The Delta Air Lines Contract of Carriage only provides affected passengers, when accommodations are not available, with a voucher that may be applied to future travel on Delta equal in value to the contracted hotel rate, up to US$100. For other services available check the Contract of Carriage RULE 19: FLIGHT DELAYS/CANCELLATIONS.

Providing you assistance if your flight is delayed or canceled

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, travel plans are disrupted. When that happens, we’re committed to giving you good customer service while we work to get you where you need to go as quickly as we can. Here are some of the things we will do if your flight is delayed or canceled:

• We’ll give you the most up-to-date information about your rebooking options through united.com, the United app, at airport kiosks, or through our airport and contact center agents.
• We’ll get you on the next flight we have with available seats in the same cabin you’re traveling in at no additional cost. If your cancellation or delay is caused by something within our control and a United flight is unavailable until the next day, you can ask us and we will book you on a partner airline’s flight at no additional cost if they have seats available in the same cabin for our customers.
• For cancellations or delays within our control, like mechanical issues, that result in your waiting for more than three hours, we’ll give you a digital or printed meal voucher. This voucher can be used for the reasonable cost of a meal at airport food vendors. If you don’t automatically get one, just ask us.
• When a delay or cancellation within our control, like a mechanical issue, keeps you away from your home city and you need to stay overnight, we’ll give you digital or printed hotel vouchers that can be used at a partner hotel. If we’re unable to offer you a hotel voucher because a room at one of our hotel partners is not available, and you find and pay for a different place to stay, you can submit your receipt to our Customer Care Team, and we’ll reimburse you up to $200. We will provide a higher reimbursement amount if you demonstrate that a reasonable cost for a hotel is higher than $200 for that location.
• If you stay the night at a hotel nearby because of a delay or cancellation within our control, and the hotel doesn’t provide a shuttle or ride from the airport, we’ll give you a voucher for the reasonable cost of a ride to the hotel.

If we’ve offered you any of these services, you’re free to turn us down. But if you do, we won’t pay you back for any meals, hotels, or other services you choose to find and pay for yourself. If you are outside the U.S., relevant local laws may also apply.

Southwest Airlines Customer Service Plan dealing with Southwest Airlines-initiated flight delays, cancelations

During flight delays that are within our control of three (3) or more hours and/or Southwest-initiated cancelations that are within our control that result in a wait of three (3) or more hours for a flight at the airport, we will provide a meal voucher upon request at the airport for participating vendors within the airport or, if participating vendors and/or vouchers are not available, we will honor reasonable requests for reimbursement for meals purchased during such irregular operations. Additionally, we may provide complimentary snacks and beverages for Customers.

If Southwest flight accommodations departing on the same day to your intended destination or applicable co-terminal city are not available following a flight delay or Southwest-initiated cancelation that is within our control (e.g., mechanical problems, aircraft swap), resulting in an overnight delay or stay, we will arrange lodging accommodations upon request if available, or will honor reasonable requests for reimbursement for lodging accommodations (provided you do not reside locally). If the lodging accommodation we arrange does not provide shuttle service to/from the airport, we will offer a voucher upon request or honor reasonable requests for reimbursement for ground transportation.

For significant flight delays or Southwest-initiated cancelations that are not within our control (e.g., weather, Air Traffic Control, safety/security-related events, FAA-required crew duty limitations, infrastructure/utility problems), we will rebook you on the next available Southwest flight(s) with seats available to the Customer’s ticketed destination at no additional cost. If you choose not to travel due to a significant delay and/or cancellation, Southwest will issue a refund of the unused portion of your Southwest ticket upon request in accordance with our Contract of Carriage.

Although we do not offer complimentary lodging accommodations for significant flight delays or Southwest-initiated cancelations that are not in our control, we will seek to arrange a discount off of a lodging accommodation near the airport.