If you’ve ever been stranded at the gate with a canceled flight and an apologetic agent, wondering if you’re entitled to more than vague promises that the airline will “make it right,” there’s a tool that can help—and fast.
In September 2022, following a summer of sweeping travel-related chaos, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) launched a website to better arm travelers with information about what they’re owed for flight cancellations and delays. Though there have been many changes across the government since the newest administration has taken office, this interactive dashboard, known as the Aviation Consumer Protection website, remains. It offers travelers a little transparency—and frankly, accountability—around how airlines handle delays and cancellations.
Here’s how to figure out what airlines owe you for delayed or canceled flights, in 20 seconds or less.
How the Aviation Consumer Protection website works
The Airline Customer Service Dashboard is available on the Department of Transportation website—though you can reach it fastest by going to FlightRights.gov, where you’ll automatically be redirected. Once there, scroll down until you see Flight Delays & Cancellations and click the icon.
The tool is meant to help travelers find easy-to-read, comparative information on what kind of refunds or compensation their airline owes them when there is a cancellation or delay, per a letter former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg sent to the 10 largest U.S. airlines in mid-August 2022, before the rollout of the dashboard.
The dashboard compares all the major domestic airlines’ policies on various issues, including which airlines offer meals for delays of more than three hours and which offer to rebook flights on the same or different airlines at no additional charge. As of the time of reporting, all 10 airlines offer meal vouchers when a cancellation results in passengers waiting for three or more hours, and all airlines will rebook passengers on the same airline at no additional cost. Only Alaska, American, Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue, and United will rebook on a partner airline; Allegiant, Frontier, Southwest, and Spirit will not.
Of all the airlines, Alaska and Hawaiian offer the most generous commitments. Each grants complimentary hotel accommodations for passengers affected by an overnight cancellation, transportation to and from that hotel, and a travel voucher and/or frequent flyer miles when a cancellation results in a passenger waiting three or more hours from the scheduled departure time. For its part, Frontier offers the least—just a meal voucher and a rebooking on the same airline.
It’s worth noting that the dashboard only focuses on what it calls “controllable” cancellations or delays—meaning those caused by mechanical issues, staffing shortages, or delays in cleaning, fueling, or baggage handling. Delays or cancellations caused by weather or security concerns do not count. Still, with this information, you can be fully armed with the facts as you converse with an airline agent. No more settling for $10 to use on overpriced granola bars at an airport Hudson Book when you’re entitled to a hotel room.
Why was the Aviation Consumer Protection website created?
The dashboard was only recently introduced in the U.S., while in Europe, air passenger protections have been in place for years. Under EU regulations, travelers are often entitled to standardized compensation for delays, cancellations, or denied boarding—benefits that go well beyond what most U.S. airlines are currently required to offer. While the DOT’s dashboard didn’t create new legal obligations, it is a significant shift toward transparency in a country where passenger rights have long been less defined.
The dashboard was part of an extended pressure campaign from Buttigieg, who, during his tenure in the Biden administration, publicly challenged the major carriers to improve service and transparency—particularly after a summer marred by cancellations and flight delays.
Buttigieg called the level of disruption Americans experienced that summer of 2022 “unacceptable.” He cited data for the first half of the year, noting that 24 percent of flights originating in the United States had been delayed and another 3.2 percent had been canceled. For context, during the entirety of 2022, 20.46 percent of flights were delayed by at least 15 minutes, a number that increased to 20.48 percent in 2024, according to the most recent Bureau of Transportation statistics. Canceled flights, however, dropped from 2.69 percent in 2022 to 1.36 percent in 2024, almost the lowest number in a decade, which, at the time, the DOT attributed to increased attention from regulatory bodies and a stronger emphasis on airline accountability.
The new tool, Buttigieg said in a statement in 2022, would help travelers “easily understand their rights, compare airline practices, and make informed decisions.”
Current DOT rules require domestic airlines to offer customers refunds for canceled flights. However, what customers are owed for delayed flights hasn’t always been easy to discern, even though the information is federally required to be a part of airlines’ Customer Service Plans.
“When passengers do experience cancellations and delays, they deserve clear and transparent information on the services that your airline will provide, to address the expenses and inconveniences resulting from these disruptions,” Buttigieg said.
At a minimum, the DOT asks that airlines provide meal vouchers for delays of more than three hours and lodging for passengers who have to wait overnight at an airport because of disruptions within a carrier’s control.
“Regardless of the cause of the delays or cancellations, the Department expects airlines to provide timely and responsive customer service during and after periods of flight disruptions,” Buttigieg said.
This article was originally published on September 1, 2022, and was updated with new information on April 7, 2025.
