While reporting on United Airlines’ recent operational struggles, one person I spoke to told me he looked at the Department of Transportation dashboard and found that the airline wasn’t following its own delay and cancellation policies.
On its face, that seemed true: United was offering travelers extra flexibility to rebook their tickets at no extra cost, but none of the stuck passengers I spoke to said anything about being offered hotel or meal vouchers.
Here’s the thing though: the source who was looking at the dashboard didn’t quite have it right.
United Airlines committed to rebook passengers on United or other partner airlines at no additional cost and to provide hotel and meal vouchers and ground transportation in the event of significant controllable delays or cancellations, but the issues last week were considered out of the airline’s control by the DOT, which meant United wasn’t on the hook for those commitments.
At least not initially.
United said the delays and cancellations early last week were caused by weather and air traffic control staffing issues, though later in the week so many crews were out of place because of earlier delays the causes were kind of a moving target, and in some cases the airline did start offering hotel vouchers and the like, according to passengers.
It’s frustrating for travelers, because whether your delay is caused by weather or short staffing, you’re still stuck, but the cause of delay can have a big effect on what the airline needs to do to help you.
Here’s what to know.
Controllable vs. uncontrollable delays
The DOT draws a distinction between operational issues that are in an airline’s control versus those that aren’t.
“A controllable flight cancellation or delay is essentially a delay or cancellation caused by the airline. Examples include: maintenance or crew problems; cabin cleaning; baggage loading; and fueling,” a DOT document says.
But issues like weather or air traffic control staffing, which were at the root of last week’s headaches in the Northeast, are out of the airline’s purview and therefore seen as uncontrollable.
Federal Aviation Administration data shows that weather has caused about 65% of airline delays so far this year, meaning a large majority of delayed flights are not covered by the airlines’ compensation promises.
How to check the reason for your flight delay or cancellation?
There usually isn’t a central repository for the cause of airline delays or cancellations, but carriers will typically advise passengers what’s behind a schedule change.
Your best bet for finding out what happened is looking to your airline’s app or any emails you get from the carrier about your flight. If you’re already at the airport, you can speak to a gate agent or other customer service employee.
The FAA also has a website that lists general air traffic restrictions by airport, and that can be a good way to find out if it’s weather or air traffic control staffing issues delaying your flight.
What are you owed if your flight is delayed or canceled?
If your flight is canceled for any reason your airline is required to give you a cash refund even if you bought a nonrefundable ticket if you choose not to travel on the alternative flights you’re offered.
It’s when your flight is delayed that things get a little more complicated, and where the distinction between controllable and uncontrollable delays becomes important.
“(With) something that is controllable from the airline, the traveler, client, should be compensated.” Nadia Henry, who goes by Sparkle professionally and founded the travel agency Travel with Sparkle, told me. “(The) only thing that shouldn’t be compensated (by the airline) is anything related to weather.”
Air traffic control staffing is also typically seen as a cause that doesn’t require airline compensation.
Individual airlines are free to set their own policies, and the Department of Transportation dashboard linked above gives an overview of what each carrier offers for controllable delays and cancellations.
How do you request additional compensation from airlines during controllable delays, cancellations?
Many times, you’ll have to speak to a customer service agent or may even have to wait in line at the airport to get things like hotel and meal vouchers.
Refunds or credits can often be processed over the phone or through airline customer service chat features, and it may be worth waiting a few days for the call volume to go down if all you’re looking for is a refund and don’t need to be rebooked. Airlines rarely compensate you after the fact if you’ve paid out of pocket for a hotel, meal or ground transportation as a result of a delay, but a travel insurance policy often will, which is why getting one can be such a big benefit. In the very few cases when airlines do offer compensation for out of pocket expenses, they’ll outline what you need to do to claim it, as Southwest did during its meltdown over the winter.
United Airlines also recently upgraded its app to automatically push hotel, meal and rideshare vouchers to eligible travelers during disruptions, but I haven’t heard any feedback yet on how those features fared last week.
How can I protect myself during uncontrollable delays?
Although airlines are not required to compensate you for uncontrollable issues – and typically don’t – there are still steps you can take to smooth things out for yourself.
“The protection you should get would be travelers’ insurance,” Sparkle said. “If your flight is delayed or you need extra accommodations, they can reimburse you also for these things.”
But, she added, not all travel insurance is created equal. Many credit cards, for example, offer some form of travel insurance when they’re used for trip-related expenses, but not all of those policies include coverage for weather delays or cancellations.
Sparkle said it’s important to find a reputable insurance provider and to make sure you understand the details of your policy so you don’t wind up paying out of pocket for expenses you thought would be covered.
Last week’s Cruising Altitude:Congress set to authorize 5 years of FAA funds. How that impacts you.
Advice for summer travel
It all boils down to what I wrote a few weeks ago: stay level-headed if something goes wrong and give yourself extra time to deal with crowds at the airport.
“Do your diligence and make sure that you check into your flight the night before to make sure there are no cancellations or delays. Make sure that you get to the airport in an ample amount of time. Also, it would be great if you can do carry-on bags instead of checking your bags if you’re going for a weekend,” Sparkle said. “Definitely bring your patience with you and make sure you purchase travel insurance.”
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com
