There’s a new Department of Transportation rule that changes how U.S. airlines handle flight delays and cancellations. The rule added ten new situations that are now considered out of the airline’s control, which means they are not on the hook for providing lodging, food, or other services to affected passengers.
Here are the ten new situations, directly from the DOT rule:
- aircraft cleaning necessitated by the death of a passenger,
- aircraft damage caused by extreme weather, foreign object debris, or sabotage,
- a baggage or cargo loading delay caused by an outage of a bag system not controlled by a carrier or its contractor,
- cybersecurity attacks (provided that the air carrier is in compliance with applicable cybersecurity regulations),
- a shutdown or system failure of government systems that directly affects the ability of an air carrier to conduct flights safely and is unexpected,
- overheated brakes due to a safety incident resulting in the use of emergency procedures,
- unscheduled maintenance, including in response to an airworthiness directive, manifesting outside a scheduled maintenance program that cannot be deferred or must be addressed before flight,
- an emergency that required medical attention through no fault of the carrier,
- the removal of an unruly passenger, and
- an airport closure due to the presence of volcanic ash, wind, or wind shear.
This makes it especially important to use a credit card that has trip delay or trip cancellation insurance. In the event your flight is affected and the airline is not required to compensate you, you can always lean on your credit card’s insurance policies.
You can use this tool below to compare your cards to see which one has the best policies (up to date as of 9/29/2026):
Does your credit card cover a flight delay?
Compare travel protections on 27 popular U.S. cards. A qualifying delay may help pay for a hotel, meals, or other essentials when the airline does not.
How to use this: Pay for eligible travel with the qualifying card as its guide requires. Save the itinerary, delay notice, airline response, receipts, and proof of card payment. Ask the airline first; card benefits generally reimburse eligible expenses the airline or another source did not cover. Trip delay covers extra costs while waiting; trip cancellation or interruption is a separate benefit for eligible prepaid costs. “Baggage protection” can mean delayed bags, lost or damaged bags, or both; see each card.
October 19, 2026: A U.S. DOT rule changes how ten causes of airline delays and cancellations are classified for reporting. It does not itself create or eliminate a blanket federal right to a meal or hotel. Airline commitments and card insurance are separate. Read the DOT rule · Check airline commitments.
Updated September 29, 2026. Summary for U.S.-issued consumer and selected business cards; terms, covered people, booking rules, exclusions, claim deadlines, and benefit versions vary. Your card’s current Guide to Benefits controls. No card recommendation or insurance advice is implied.
