As a major winter storm bears down on large swaths of the United States, airlines are already proactively canceling hundreds of flights. Per flight-tracking site FlightAware, as of press time, 500 U.S. flights have been canceled on Friday; 1,789 U.S. flights have already been canceled for Saturday; and nearly 300 flights have been canceled for Sunday. When these extreme weather events occur, travelers are forced to figure out alternative options on the fly, including where they will stay during the delay, when and how to book a new flight, and who will pay for the additional expenses.
If you happen to find yourself stuck in transit because an airline has canceled or delayed your flight, here’s what to do.
Know that you have a right to a flight rebooking or a refund
The Trump administration recently rolled back a Biden-era rule that required airlines to automatically compensate fliers between $200 and $775 for flight delays of three hours or longer, plus cover meals and hotel rooms when delays or cancellations were the carrier’s fault. Those compensations are now out the window. But certain fliers’ rights remain intact.
That includes the right to a refund. “If an airline cancels a passenger’s flight or makes a significant change in the flight, regardless of the reason, airlines are required to provide a prompt refund to a ticketed passenger, including those with nonrefundable tickets, should the passenger choose not to accept the alternative offered, such as rebooking on another flight,” the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) clearly states on its Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard.
As for delays, that same dashboard can help travelers track down what kind of refunds or compensation their airline has committed to providing in case of a controllable cancellation or delay (it includes a table of compensations broken down by airline). Unfortunately, those don’t apply to a situation such as a winter storm, as that is deemed beyond the airlines’ control. But it is something that would come into play for a tech outage or staffing shortfall.
Find out if your airline has a travel waiver in place
When there is a major travel disruption (due to weather, conflict, technology, or another reason), most U.S. airlines issue travel waivers, which allow passengers to alter their travel dates without paying change fees, even on otherwise nonrefundable tickets (though fare differences may still apply).
“This is what I like to call a golden ticket scenario where even those who booked in Basic Economy, the most restrictive ticket type, can switch flights without having to pay a change fee,” Katy Nastro, a travel expert at Going, a travel app and deals newsletter, told Afar. “However, that is only if the waiver is in place.”
Be sure to check the exact conditions of the waiver, as they typically cover very precise booking and travel windows, and specific flight routes.
How to get rebooked on a different flight
If you want to continue with your travel plans, you will need to get rebooked on a different flight (unless your flight is delayed, not canceled, and you have decided to stick with it). If you need to rebook, here are some steps to take.
Use your airline’s app to select a new flight
If you have downloaded your airline’s app and have your flight information linked to your account, you may not need to deal with a human in the event of a flight delay or cancellation. As soon as your airline knows your flight will be delayed or canceled, it will send you an update within its dedicated app. Whether the flight is delayed or canceled, the airline should give you the option to rebook on a different flight directly within the app (if it hasn’t automatically placed you on a different flight). In this case, it pays to act quickly—after all, you have a whole plane full of travelers in the same situation.
If your flight is simply delayed and you’re not at risk of missing a connection, you might opt to stick with your current itinerary. In this scenario, you don’t have to do anything, but it’s helpful to know if your flight is at risk of further delays (which could ultimately lead to a cancellation). To do this, look up where your plane is coming from and then use a flight-tracking app like FlightAware to check if it’s en route or not. Your new departure time is much more likely to get pushed back again (and again) if your plane hasn’t even left the airport it’s flying from yet.
If that didn’t work, talk to a gate agent or call customer service
If you aren’t able to use the app to rebook a flight that meets your needs, then it’s time for plan B: getting in touch with a gate agent or customer service representative. Calling a customer service agent may be quicker than speaking to someone in real life. (You also can and should multitask and try calling while waiting in line.)
Research alternate flights with the same airline, partner airlines, and even competitors
Before you hop on the phone or talk to a gate agent, look up flight alternatives with the airline you are booked on, partner airlines (especially for international flights), and even competing carriers. If you know of a specific flight that has empty seats, it can be helpful to bring that knowledge to your conversation—even if it’s not on the airline you have a ticket with.
Don’t be shy to “go to a different carrier and say, ‘How can you get me to [my destination]?’” says former airline pilot and FlightAware spokesperson Kathleen Bangs. In some situations, even competing airlines with a mutual agreement allow you to transfer a ticket. Use Google Flights to see all the options available to you.
Use miles to book backup flights
Award flights are among the easiest to cancel up until departure time. The miles simply go back into your account when you do. This is a good time to lean on those points and miles to book backup flights, whether with the same airline or a different carrier.
Lean on your travel advisor, as well as friends and family members
If you’re working with a travel advisor on a trip, this is the time to take advantage of that person’s expertise and services. You paid to work with them, and this is among the many reasons why you did.
Another strategy is to provide your flight numbers and travel details to a trusted friend or family member who can watch flight statuses for you, provide helpful info via text, or even do some behind-the-scenes research and rebooking while you are in the air.
Getting compensated during or after your travels
As mentioned above, if you decide not to continue with your travel itinerary, you are entitled to a full refund if you do not take the rebooking option. In addition to that, you can . . .
Always ask for miles
If an airline rebooks you onto a different flight after a flight was canceled, it can (and should) at least offer you miles “for the inconvenience” if it doesn’t offer you other compensation, such as payment for meals or an overnight hotel stay, says Bangs. “I would just say to the airline, ‘What can we do to make this fair?’” she adds.
If you are not given anything in the moment, you can request compensation by filing a complaint (usually online) with the airline you had a ticket with.
File a complaint with the DOT
If the airline wasn’t cooperative in providing a required refund or requested assistance, file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation online. It can help ensure you (finally) get a response from the airline.
This story was originally published in 2023 and was updated on January 23, 2026, to include current information.
