A massive winter snowstorm has swept across much of the United States this weekend, stretching from the southern Plains up through New England. The storm brought heavy snow, sleet, freezing rain, and dangerously cold temperatures to large swaths of the country, leading to states of emergency in some areas, widespread power outages that affected millions of residents, and, of course, countless flight cancellations and delays.
Air travel was particularly hard‑hit. On Sunday alone, more than 10,800 flights were canceled, marking one of the largest single‑day cancellation events in years. Major hubs including LaGuardia, JFK, Atlanta, and Dallas‑Fort Worth saw significant disruptions, with some airports canceling nearly all departures. In addition to cancellations, countless flights were delayed, creating cascading operational issues that could take days to recover from.
Many airlines responded by issuing travel advisories and waivers allowing passengers to rebook without change fees, and many more encouraged travelers to rebook flights proactively using airline apps and online tools.
However, if you didn't cancel or rebook on your own before this weekend's winter storm, and your flight was canceled by the airline due to the weather, you may still be entitled to a refund.
Under US Department of Transportation rules, if your flight is canceled, you are entitled to a full cash refund—not just credits or travel vouchers—if you choose not to take an alternative flight. This applies even if your ticket was non‑refundable and includes refunds for add‑ons like bag fees or seat upgrades.
"A consumer is entitled to a refund if the airlinecanceled a flight, regardless of the reason, and the consumer chooses not to travel or accept travel credits, vouchers, or other forms of compensation offered by the airline," according to the US Department of Transportation's Refund policy, which adds that airlines are required to notify passengers of their rights to refunds, as well.
You are also entitled to a refund if the airline significantly delayed or changed your flight and you have chosen not to travel or accept any travel credits, vouchers, or other forms of compensation offered to you. This applies to delays that cause you to arrive at your destination airport three or more hours later than the original scheduled arrival time for domestic itineraries—and six or more hours later for international itineraries. It also applies to changes to scheduled departures of at least three or six hours earlier for domestic and international itineraries, respectively.
Changes in origin or destination airports, increased connections, involuntary downgrades, and changes in connecting airports or aircraft for passengers with disabilities are also considered significant changes.
What Airlines Are Not Legally Mandated to Do During Weather Events
Many airlines will offer to rebook you on another flight on the same carrier at no additional cost if they have had to cancel, significantly delay, or significantly change your flight due to a winter weather event like this weekend's storm.
However, rebooking passengers is not a legal obligation of airlines if the cause of the cancellation is considered uncontrollable, like weather events. There is no federal law that mandates rebooking for uncontrollable events, but many airlines offer to rebook passengers because it's good customer service and helps manage operational chaos.
Because this weekend's storm is considered an "uncontrollable event," carriers are not legally required to provide meals, hotel stays, or financial compensation for delays or cancellations either. Still, some airlines go above and beyond to offer voluntary services like meal vouchers or lodging for overnight delays, but this varies by airline policy.
You can check out the US Department of Transportation's rules for controllable cancellation commitments here.
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