Flight delayed? US airlines are now on the hook for your travel woes
New rules will now require U.S. airlines to refund passengers for travel headaches. This is when you can expect refunds.
- Weather, especially hurricanes and extreme heat, is a major cause of flight delays and cancellations, particularly during summer.
- Florida airports, such as Orlando International, experienced significant arrival delays last summer.
- Booking morning flights is recommended to minimize the risk of weather-related disruptions.
Weather is typically a major factor in flight delays and cancellations. And with hurricane season and the hotter summer temperatures approaching, many travelers are likely to face disruptions in the coming months.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, hurricanes can have a major impact on flight operations, up to and including the closure of airports and airspace in a storm’s path. Likewise, extreme heat can disrupt airline schedules, because some planes may struggle to take off when the temperatures soar.
While weather patterns can be a little inconsistent, looking at last summer’s most-disrupted airports can give travelers an idea of where headaches are likely to occur this year.
Not surprisingly, Florida and the Gulf Coast were trouble spots for arrival delays.
Orlando International Airport had a particularly bad summer, ranking among the five most-delayed airports in June and July 2024. According to Department of Transportation statistics, less than 64% of flights arrived at MCO on time in July of last year.
Over the entirety of 2024, these were the most delayed airports according to the DOT:
- San Francisco (SFO): 68.9% of arrivals on time
- Fort Lauderdale (FLL): 73.9% of arrivals on time
- Tampa (TPA): 73.9% of arrivals on time
- Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW): 74% of arrivals on time
- Orlando (MCO): 74.6% of arrivals on time
- San Diego (SAN): 74.6% of arrivals on time
- Miami (MIA): 75% of arrivals on time
- Austin (AUS): 76% of arrivals on time
- Boston (BOS): 76.1% of arrivals on time
- Newark (EWR): 76.2% of arrivals on time
- Philadelphia (PHL): 76.7% of arrivals on time
What to do if your flight is delayed or canceled
Airlines typically aren’t on the hook to compensate or rebook you if your flight is delayed by weather, but you can get a refund if your flight is canceled and you choose not to travel on the alternate arrangements offered, even if you booked a nonrefundable ticket.
The DOT has a dashboard that outlines the responsibilities and commitments of every major airline in the event of a significant delay or cancellation.
How to avoid flight disruptions
Weather delays tend to pile up as the day goes on, so the best hedge against flight disruptions over the summer is to book a morning departure. Those early flights are the least likely to be affected by weather or its ripples.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.
