DOT automatic refund rule
The DOT automatic refund rule requires airlines to refund your fare when they cancel or significantly change a flight and you do not accept the alternative.
Also called: airline automatic refund rule, DOT refund rule, 14 CFR Part 260
The DOT automatic refund rule requires airlines to refund your fare when they cancel or significantly change a flight and you do not accept the alternative.
What it means
The DOT automatic refund rule is a US Department of Transportation regulation, 14 CFR Part 260. It requires airlines to refund your ticket, including taxes and fees, when they cancel a flight or significantly change it and you do not accept the alternative. DOT published it as a final rule on April 26, 2024. It covers scheduled flights to, from or within the United States.
A significant change is a departure three or more hours earlier or an arrival three or more hours later on a domestic trip, or six or more hours on an international one. A different airport, more connections or a lower class of service also counts. Refunds must be prompt: within 7 business days for credit card payments and 20 calendar days for other payment types. The airline must refund you without waiting for a request when it offers no alternative, or when you reject the change or a voucher.
The rule also covers fees for services you paid for but did not get, such as Wi-Fi. It covers checked bag fees too if your bag is lost or not delivered within 12 hours of your arrival on domestic trips, 15 hours on most international trips, or 30 hours on the longest.
What it means for you
Choose the refund, not the voucher, if you do not want to travel. An airline may offer a voucher or credit instead, but it must tell you that you can have a refund. It cannot treat silence as acceptance, and a voucher offered in place of a refund must stay valid for at least five years. Refunds go back to your original form of payment with no processing fee. If the deadline passes, contact the airline, then dispute the charge with your card issuer or complain to the Department of Transportation. DOT has paused enforcement for flights that only get a new flight number while it reviews that part of the rule.
Example
Say an airline moves your domestic flight from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and offers a voucher. A four-hour change counts as significant, and you no longer want to travel. You decline the voucher, so the airline owes you a full refund to your original payment method. Because you paid by credit card, the airline has 7 business days to send it.
FAQ
Under the DOT rule, prompt means within 7 business days for credit card purchases and 20 calendar days for other payment types, such as cash, check or debit card.
No. The rule covers refunds of your fare and of fees for services or bags you did not get. It does not set cash payments for delays. Involuntary denied boarding on an oversold flight has its own compensation rules.
Related terms
- 14 CFR Part 260, refunds for airline fare and ancillary service fees (eCFR)
- Federal Register, Refunds and Other Consumer Protections, final rule (89 FR 32760, April 26, 2024)
- Federal Register, Airline Refunds and Other Consumer Protections, enforcement notice (91 FR 41556, July 7, 2026)
Updated Oct 18, 2026. Plain-English definitions for general information — not legal or tax advice.