WASHINGTON D.C., DC — Hurricane Helene is affecting flights to and from Hampton Roads, but if you or someone you know is impacted by flight changes, you may be able to take advantage of a new refund policy implemented by the Department of Transportation.
Starting Oct. 28, airlines must automatically issue refunds if any flight is "seriously delayed" or cancelled for any reason, including weather.
To be considered a serious delay, a domestic flight must arrive at the final destination at least 3 hours after the original scheduled time, or 6 hours after for international flights.
When he announced the plan, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said those refunds are a right for travelers.
"We hear again and again from passengers who describe how hard they have to push just to get the refunds that are owed to them," he said. "And often, our consumer protection team has had to impose multi-million dollar penalties on airlines just to get them to do what should already be required."
According to the transportation department, airlines can and should offer to re-book your transportation, or give you flight credits for a cancellation or delay, but you can refuse those alternatives. You're only eligible for a refund if you refuse the other options.
The catch is, airlines still have time to comply with the new rule, since it goes into effect on Oct. 28.
However, you can request a refund in writing from the airline if you're impacted today.
If you're refused a refund, the Department of Transportation would like you to submit a secure complaint at their website.
The Department of Transportation also has an online dashboard to show which major airlines have already complied with the new rules at flightrights.gov.
