DOT's 7-day refund rule, explained

2026-05-21

Under the U.S. Department of Transportation's 2024 automatic-refund rule (14 CFR Parts 260 and 399), airlines must refund the unused ticket value to the original form of payment when a flight is cancelled, significantly changed, or significantly delayed AND you decline the offered rebooking. The clock is 7 business days for credit-card purchases and 20 business days for other forms of payment. Vouchers do NOT satisfy the rule — you have to request cash explicitly. If the airline still steers you to a voucher, the QuickClaimAI airline tab generates a demand letter that cites the exact regulation and sets a 7-day deadline.