Can’t get a refund from your airline? Here’s what you can do.

If you think an upcoming flight may be canceled (because of bad weather, for example,) you can either try to change to a flight before the storm (possibly for a fee), or wait to see what happens. Even if you don’t want to take the flight any more, you should wait to cancel to avoid a cancellation fee.

You are entitled by law to a full cash refund if the airline cancels, makes a significant schedule change or significantly delays a flight, so wait as long as possible to cancel. Unless a new law is passed, airlines won’t be required to give you a refund if you’re the one canceling. There has not been much progress on federal laws requiring full refunds, but the FAIR Fees Act, which restricts hidden fees during flying, was reintroduced in Congress in December 2021.

As Anna Laitin, former director of financial policy for Consumer Reports, said during our joint webinar in 2020, persistence pays off for consumers who are legally owed refunds when the airline cancels the flight. You may have to ask for the refund. You may be offered a voucher instead, but as the Department of Transportation has reminded the airlines twice now, you are owed a refund. Do not take anything other than a refund.

But, if you already accepted a voucher for a flight the airline canceled, you are still legally entitled to and can ask for a refund instead.

Persistence may also pay off if you are the one canceling your ticket. On our webinar, Sen. Markey said that Allegiant and Spirit agreed to provide refunds to customers who ask for them. Consumer Reports has also heard some success stories from customers of other airlines. Make sure to have your flight information on hand when calling your airline.

Have you persisted but hit a wall? Take it from my friend, James Nortey, who gave me permission to share his story with you:

“After American Airlines and United refused to offer a cash refund and only provided a voucher, I asked my bank to void the transaction as fraudulent and get a cash refund—it worked. I recommend this to everyone, but the point is you shouldn’t have to. Businesses should refund cash as the default option.”

James is spot-on. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has more on exercising your right to dispute charges as billing errors.

Suffice it to say, you’re not the only one having problems with the airlines. The DOT’s data shows that there were 138,316 complaints between March 2020 and September 2021. If you haven’t received a satisfactory resolution from your airline, you too can file a complaint with the DOT. The airline will be required to respond to you and the DOT.

Your complaint will also be part of monthly public reports, including numbers of complaints by company and types of problems. According to the DOT, “complaints can lead to enforcement action against an airline when a serious violation of the law has occurred. Complaints may also be the basis for rulemaking actions.”

In March 2022, the Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee held another meeting to discuss refunds. The committee has made recommendations to the DOT about what to do about refunds moving forward. Before then, you can call the DOT at 202-366-4000  and email Secretary Pete Buttigieg to tell DOT officials the changes you want to see.