US airlines have to automatically refund travelers for canceled, 'significantly changed' flights: What to know

 

Under the new policy, passengers will receive a refund if their flight is canceled or significantly changed, and they do not accept alternative transportation or travel credits offered. 

According to the DOT, a "significant change" is defined as a situation where a flight's departure or arrival time is altered by more than three hours domestically and six hours internationally. 

This definition also includes changes in departure or arrival airports, an increase in the number of connections or connections at different airports. 

It also applies in cases when a passenger is downgraded to a lower class of service or if flights are switched to planes that are less accessible or accommodating to a person with a disability, according to the rules. 

Passengers that file a mishandled baggage report can get a refund of their checked bag fee if it is not delivered within 12 hours of their domestic flight arriving at the gate. 

For international flights, passengers will be refunded if the bag doesn't arrive between 15 and 30 hours of their international flight arriving at the gate, depending on the length of the flight.

Passengers can be refunded if they paid for a service, such as Wi-Fi, seat selection or inflight entertainment that the airline failed to provide.