What to Do if Your Flight Is Canceled, According to Travel Experts

If you haven't yet dealt with a canceled flight, lucky you. Flight cancellations happen more often than you may expect — one to three out of every 100 flights from January to July 2023 never took off. So even if the skies are blue and the airport seems to be running smoothly, you need to know what to do in case your flight is canceled. "Rebooking a canceled flight these days is like being in The Hunger Games," says Summer Hull, director of content at The Points Guy and a mom of two. "Since you're competing for limited seats on other flights, especially during the holidays and busy summer season, time is of the essence."

How can you get a jump on fellow passengers? Hull and other experts (including our own staff who crisscrossed the country for the Good Housekeeping Family Travel Awards) outline rebooking hacks so you get where you want to go ASAP.

There are a few things you can do to make sure your reservation is future-proofed to make rebooking smoother should your flight get canceled. If you're flying with friends or family and booked flights separately, contact the airline to link the reservations. Doing so will increase the chances that you'll be given the same options for a new flight.

You should also install your airline's app on your phone, and, if you already have it, make sure it's updated and you have push notifications enabled. "Even if you only fly that airline once a year, download the app at least a few days before your flight and you can remove it afterward to save storage," says Katy Nastro, a travel expert for Going.com. Having the app ensures that you'll receive timely alerts about delays, cancellations and severe weather waivers, so you can act fast. You may even be able to rebook directly on the app.

Bad weather is the most common reason for flights to be canceled. When a significant storm is forecast, many airlines issue waivers a day or two in advance. "Weather waivers are like a golden ticket," says Nastro. "Airlines will allow you to take an earlier or later flight at no extra charge within a certain timeframe to avoid anticipated cancellations." A Good Housekeeping team member flying on United Airlines took advantage of a weather waiver to begin her trip a day earlier than planned. "Besides avoiding an airport nightmare, I scored a direct flight that I didn't originally book because it cost significantly more," she said.

If you booked directly through the airline's website: If you're at the airport, get in line at the gate or a customer service kiosk (or split up your group to cover both). Simultaneously contact the airline either through the app or the customer service phone number. Working multiple angles will help you get rebooked quicker, says Hull.

If you're at home or on the road, call the customer service number and start a chat through the app or text. "Sometimes you'll receive rebooking options directly in the app, and if you're satisfied with one of those, choose it as quickly as possible," says Nastro. When Nastro's return flight to the U.S. from London was canceled recently, she used one of her favorite strategies: "Instead of calling the airline's customer service number in the U.S. or U.K. — which everyone else was doing — I called the airline's number for Australia, where presumably there weren't many flight delays, and an agent was able to help me get rebooked right away."

Nastro located the number on the airline's main customer service page and said calling international customer service is a favorite hack of the Going.com staff. "It also helps to have another flight option in mind to suggest to the customer service agent," she notes.

If you booked through a third party: If you purchased your ticket through a travel agent, booking site like Expedia or Priceline, credit card-related travel agency like American Express Travel or another third party, you should reach out to your point of purchase for rebooking unless your trip has already started and you're dealing with a canceled connecting flight.

"When my direct flight booked through a cruise line's travel agent was canceled, the airline's customer service told me I had to contact the agency to rebook," says a Good Housekeeping team member. "I wish I had known that in advance because I waited more than an hour to reach a customer service rep." Just to have all your bases covered, you could also work your way to the gate or customer service kiosk at the airport in case the carrier is willing to rebook you directly.

It depends on what airline you booked with and the reason for the cancellation. If the cancelation is considered controllable — a mechanical issue or crew who exceeded the maximum hours that they can legally be on duty, for instance — several airlines have made a commitment to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) that they will rebook you on a partner airline if they can't get you there themselves within a reasonable time, according to Hull.

Check the DOT's Customer Service Dashboard for the latest information. At press time, Alaska, American, Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue and United have agreed to rebook passengers on a partner airline in the event of a controllable cancellation. As for which airline you'll be switched to, Hull says she's been booked on a wide variety of carriers when her flight has been canceled.

A Good Housekeeping team member who booked on United was offered a flight on American or Alaska when her flight was canceled. If your flight was canceled for a reason beyond the airline's control — bad weather and air traffic are two common possibilities — then airlines aren't obligated to rebook you on partners though, "it doesn't hurt to ask nicely," says Hull.

Yes. No matter what airline you're flying or the reason the airline canceled your flight, you're entitled to a full refund, according to the Department of Transportation. If you paid in airline miles, the miles will be returned to your account. If you paid by credit card, you may be offered an airline flight credit or voucher rather than a refund to your credit card.

Airlines are legally obligated to refund you in the original form of payment — so hold your ground about getting your money put back on your credit card, says Hull. You're also entitled to be reimbursed for any baggage fees, seat selection costs or amenities (like Wi-Fi) for which you prepaid.

Again, it depends on your airline and the reason for the cancellation. If your flight was canceled because of an issue that the airline has some control over, all major carriers except Frontier will provide a complimentary hotel room if your flight isn't until the next day. They will also issue meal vouchers or another type of food compensation if you have to wait three or more hours for another flight.

However, if your flight was canceled because of a situation outside of the airline's control, the airline isn't obligated to do anything more than rebook or refund you. But if you paid for the flight using a credit card with travel protections such as Chase Sapphire or Capital One Venture Rewards, you could file a claim with the credit card company to be reimbursed up to a certain amount for additional expenses you incurred for hotels and meals plus the ticket cost for non-refundable activities you missed, like a concert. Travel insurance may also cover these expenses, but Hull thinks the travel protection from credit cards is usually sufficient on most trips within the U.S.

Book a flight early in the day. Late evening flights are more likely to be canceled than morning ones, says Nastro. Delays earlier in the day may have piled up causing the plane or crew for your flight to be unavailable, so prioritize daytime options if they're available and within your budget.

The cancellation rates for airlines also vary widely. According to a recent Department of Transportation report on flights from January to September 2023, JetBlue had the highest cancellation rate at 3.4% while Alaska Airlines — a 2024 Good Housekeeping Family Travel Award winner — and Allegiant Air tied for the lowest at 0.3%.

Karen Cicero

Karen is a seasoned journalist who specializes in travel, book, lifestyle and food coverage. Cicero has visited almost every state with her family (look out Wyoming, she’s coming for you next!). She has spoken at several travel industry conferences, including PRSA and the Mid-Atlantic Tourism Alliance and was previously the senior editor at Parents. A mom who goes overboard for all the holidays, Cicero lives in the Christmas city itself: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.