Before you take to the air this holiday, learn your flight refund rights. AAA expects 2023 to be the "second busiest year for holiday travel" since the organization began collecting travel-related data in 2000, with 115.2 million people expected to journey 50 miles or more away from home from Dec. 23 to Jan. 1.
Whether you're headed to a country where the dollar is strong or one of Kiplinger's great places to live in Texas to see family, there's a good chance you could experience flight delays or cancellations due to high travel volume and potential winter weather. So, how can you get your money back if you're affected?
The lessons of last year's air travel meltdown
Winter storm Elliott spread wintry misery across the U.S. in December 2022, derailing holiday travel plans for millions of Americans. More than 15,000 flights were canceled before and during the storm, according to CNN.
Most airlines had planned for potential blizzard conditions, freezing temperatures and the threat of mass delays and cancellations, CBS News reported. American, Delta and others offered vouchers to allow customers to rebook flights without change fees. As the storm barreled across the U.S., most airlines managed delays, limited cancellations and addressed customer frustrations as best they could.
Southwest Airlines stood apart in its level of chaos, cancelling over 12,000 flights out of the roughly 15,000 cancellations across all airlines. Analysts blamed staffing shortages and outdated software that trapped flight crews in the wrong cities for days. Southwest later said its software was unable to keep up with a historic number of cancellations and crew changes.
Southwest just recently agreed to pay a record $140 million Department of Transportation penalty — a sum nearly 30 times larger than any previous fine levied by the federal agency. Overall, the airline is on the hook for over $750 million in penalties and refunds to stranded customers from last year's meltdown. The good news is, though, Southwest has said its ready for winter 2023, with improvements made over the last year.
There are a few lessons here: Regional delays and winter storms can ripple across an entire national airline network and strand untold numbers of travelers. Airlines aren't always prepared to respond, despite years of warnings. Compensation for passengers can be slow and painful to extract.
So educate yourself before you head to the airport, and use the compensation guidance below if your travel plans get derailed.
How to get your refund
So your flight was canceled or delayed — now what? Visit the U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) Airline Customer Service Dashboard, where you can compare the refund and reimbursement policies of the 10 biggest U.S. airlines.
According to the DoT's information, Alaska and JetBlue are the top carriers in terms of assisting customers with disrupted travel plans, while Frontier is by far the worst.
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Ben Demers manages digital content and engagement at Kiplinger, informing readers through a range of personal finance articles, e-newsletters, social media, syndicated content, and videos. He is passionate about helping people lead their best lives through sound financial behavior, particularly saving money at home and avoiding scams and identity theft. Ben graduated with an M.P.S. from Georgetown University and a B.A. from Vassar College. He joined Kiplinger in May 2017.
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