Am I Entitled to a Refund?
In the following situations, you are entitled to a refund of the ticket price and/or associated fees.
- Cancelled Flight – A passenger is entitled to a refund if the airline cancelled a flight, regardless of the reason, and the passenger chooses not to travel.
- Schedule Change/Significant Delay – A passenger is entitled to a refund if the airline made a significant schedule change and/or significantly delays a flight and the passenger chooses not to travel.
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation
How to file a complaint
Many passengers who had initially been denied refunds have received the required refunds
https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/air-travel-consumer-report-april-2021-numbers
One half of 1% of flights cancel
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, airlines reported 473,936 scheduled domestic flights in April 2021; 2,561 (0.5%) of which were canceled.
During the same month, the U.S. DOT received 3,462 complaints about airline service. Of those 3,462 complaints, 2,351 (67.9%) concerned refunds.
The Office of Aviation Consumer Protection continues to communicate with airlines and travel companies that received a large number of refund complaints to ensure compliance with the refund requirements. Many passengers who had initially been denied refunds have received refunds. The Department will take enforcement action against noncompliant airlines and ticket agents