10 Types of Flight Delays That Your Airline Will No Longer Be Responsible for—and the Perks You Will Lose

In a 2024 law that reauthorized the Federal Aviation Administration, Congress directed the Department of Transportation to stop counting 10 types of flight disruptions as airlines’ fault. The DOT is now carrying out that law in a rule that takes effect February 1, 2027. It means fewer meal vouchers and hotel rooms for stranded passengers.

The rule was originally set to launch on October 19, 2026. However, Airlines for America, a group that represent the country’s major airlines, requested a delay till February. This will give time to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics and industry stakeholders to update their technical systems and reporting protocols for the new flight-disruption categories.

If a mechanical problem grounds your flight overnight, your airline will likely put you up in a hotel today. Starting in 2027, that may no longer be the case.

Delays caused by weather were never covered; airlines’ meal and hotel commitments apply only to disruptions within their control. In those circumstances, you have rights—albeit somewhat limited—under Department of Transportation rules.

For example, if a significant delay (more than three hours) or a cancellation is caused by something the DOT considers to be within an airline’s control, such as maintenance or crew problems, then the 10 largest U.S. airlines have committed, in customer service plans the DOT can enforce, to provide some assistance, such as meal vouchers or overnight lodging.

But starting February 1, 2027, the list of conditions that trigger those rights will become narrower.

Here’s what’s changing

Photo by Chris Rank

The change comes from the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, in which Congress told the DOT to stop counting 10 types of disruptions as the airlines’ fault when carriers report why flights were delayed or canceled. The new rule takes effect February 1, 2027.

Airlines generally promise meals and hotels only when a disruption is within their control. The DOT expects that “the total value of amenities and compensation currently provided by air carriers to consumers will be reduced” as a result.

Going forward, “travelers shouldn’t assume that a delay that seems like the airline’s fault will be treated that way under the new rule,” Erika Josefsson, legal strategist and air passenger rights expert at AirHelp, told Afar. AirHelp assists passengers seeking financial compensation from airlines for delayed, canceled, or overbooked flights.

Here’s the full list of situations that will now be excluded:

1. Aircraft cleaning necessitated by the death of a passenger
2. Aircraft damage caused by extreme weather, foreign-object debris, or sabotage
3. A baggage or cargo loading delay caused by an outage of a bag system not controlled by a carrier or its contractor
4. Cybersecurity attacks (provided that the air carrier is following applicable cybersecurity regulations)
5. A shutdown or system failure of government systems that directly affects the ability of an air carrier to conduct flights safely and is unexpected
6. Overheated brakes due to a safety incident resulting in the use of emergency procedures
7. Unscheduled maintenance—including work required by an airworthiness directive—that comes up outside a scheduled maintenance program and can’t be deferred or must be fixed before flight
8. An emergency that required medical attention in a situation that was not the fault of the carrier
9. The removal of an unruly passenger
10. An airport closure due to volcanic ash, wind, or wind shear

While all these events can certainly affect a journey, this new rule “recognizes and acknowledges that airlines should not be penalized when they occur,” Mark Dombroff, a partner and aviation attorney with Fox Rothschild LLP, which represents several airlines, told Afar.

What to do if your flight is delayed or canceled

When the new rules go into effect, there will continue to be situations where airlines must offer compensation and assistance to travelers whose flights are canceled or significantly delayed.

“Travelers should ask for the stated reason for a delay and keep a record of it,” Josefsson advises. “Request the explanation in writing or take a screenshot of the airline’s app notification. Save receipts and check the airline’s customer service plan to see what assistance it promises for that type of disruption.”

Don’t necessarily rely on what the gate agent tells you. On its website, the DOT maintains a list of airline customer service plans on an Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard. The chart lists the services U.S. airlines have told the DOT they will provide to inconvenienced passengers when the cause of a cancellation or delay is due to circumstances within the airline’s control.

That dashboard will likely be updated to reflect the new DOT rules about the situations considered to be within an airline’s control. But the DOT notes that “if an airline has made a commitment to provide a particular service or compensation, then the Department can hold the airline accountable.”

Also, keep in mind that refund rights have not changed. “If a flight is canceled or significantly changed and a passenger declines the alternative offered, they’re still entitled to a refund for the unused ticket,” says Josefsson. “What could change is access to meals, hotel accommodations, and ground transportation that airlines may have provided when a delay was considered within their control.”