Delayed or cancelled after 19 October? See what your airline still owes you.
A US Department of Transportation rule takes effect on 19 October 2026. It moves ten causes of delay and cancellation out of the category "within the airline's control", which is the category the airlines' meal, hotel and rebooking commitments are tied to. Pick your airline and what the airline said caused the disruption.
The ten causes that leave "the airline's control" on 19 October
Quoted from the rule's own text, "Provisions of the Final Rule":
Every airline's commitments for controllable delays and cancellations
From DOT's Airline Customer Service Dashboard, page last updated 10 December 2024. No US airline commits to cash compensation for a delay or cancellation of any cause.
What still helps when the airline owes nothing. Trip-delay coverage in a travel insurance policy pays for meals and a hotel after a set number of hours regardless of what caused the delay. Check a policy's "trip delay" line before you fly, not after.