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Traveling for the Holidays, or, for Treatment?

The holidays are here and you may be thinking about travel plans. But you may also be needing to make travel plans if you have to travel to get cancer treatment. With the cold weather arriving and more people traveling, it is possible that you may experience travel delays or cancellations.

This blog breaks down some options if your flight or train trip is cancelled, when you are traveling for the holidays, or, for treatment.

What are your options when your travel plans are cancelled?

If you are traveling for the holidays, or for treatment, it is likely you may face changes to your travel plans. But, you may be protected in those situations.

For example, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) requires that a consumer be refunded if the airline cancels a flight, regardless of the reason, and the consumer chooses not to travel.

Consumers must also be refunded if the airline makes a significant schedule change or significantly delays a flight and the consumer chooses not to travel. What is considered a “significant delay” is not specifically defined, but the DOT decides if a consumer gets a refund on a case-by-case basis.

When are you entitled to other benefits?

Several airlines have also committed to provide some types of assistance for controllable cancellations and controllable delays. Controllable cancellations and delays are things that are in the control of the airlines, unlike issues related to weather or air traffic control.

While tarmac delays may not require compensation, U.S. airlines must provide passengers with food and water no later than 2 hours after a tarmac delay begins. Lavatories must remain operable and medical attention must be available.

When an airline has overbooked passengers and they involuntarily “bump” passengers, the DOT requires airlines to compensate those passengers via cash or check. The amount that passengers receive from the airline depends on the price of the ticket purchased and length of delay.

Many airlines also want to provide good customer service and to retain customers, so they offer added benefits. Check your credit cards and airline accounts to see if you are eligible for these special perks.

For example, Southwest Airlines rewards loyal customers with the ability to make “same-day changes” and will add them to a standby list for an earlier flight.

If an airline does not offer compensation for meals or expenses that you have during the delay, you may be able to file a claim with the airline to be reimbursed for expenses. You could also pursue reimbursement in court if the claim is denied.

Which airlines have policies that can help?

Alaska Airlines

Controllable cancellations
  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost.
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight.
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation.
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation.
Controllable delays
  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost for significant delays.
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when flight delay results in passenger waiting three hours or more.
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight delay.
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight delay.

Allegiant Air

Controllable cancellations
  • No commitments.
Controllable delays
  • No commitments.

American Airlines

Controllable cancellations
  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost.
  • Rebook passenger on another airline at no additional cost.
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight.
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation.
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation.
Controllable delays
  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost for significant delays.
  • Rebook passenger on another airline at no additional cost for significant delays.
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when flight delay results in passenger waiting three hours or more.
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight delay.
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight delay.

Delta Air Lines

Controllable cancellations
  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost.
  • Rebook passenger on another airline at no additional cost.
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight.
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation.
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation.
Controllable delays
  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost for significant delays.
  • Rebook passenger on another airline at no additional cost for significant delays.
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when flight delay results in passenger waiting three hours or more.
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight delay.
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight delay.

Frontier Airlines

Controllable cancellations
  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost.
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight.
Controllable delays
  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost for significant delays.
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when flight delay results in passenger waiting three hours or more.

Hawaiian Airlines

Controllable cancellations
  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost.
  • Rebook passenger on another airline at no additional cost.
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight.
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation.
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation.
Controllable delays
  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost for significant delays.
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when flight delay results in passenger waiting three hours or more.
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight delay.
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight delay.

JetBlue

Controllable cancellations
  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost.
  • Rebook passenger on another airline at no additional cost.
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight.
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation.
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation.
Controllable delays
  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost for significant delays.
  • Rebook passenger on another airline at no additional cost for significant delays.
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when flight delay results in passenger waiting three hours or more.
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight delay.
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight delay.

Southwest Airlines

Controllable cancellations
  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost.
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight.
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation.
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation.
Controllable delays
  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost for significant delays.
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when flight delay results in passenger waiting three hours or more.
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight delay.
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight delay.

Spirit Airlines

Controllable cancellations
  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost.
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight.
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation.
Controllable delays
  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost for significant delays.
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when flight delay results in passenger waiting three hours or more.
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight delay.

United Airlines

Controllable cancellations
  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost.
  • Rebook passenger on another airline at no additional cost.
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passenger waiting for three hours or more for new flight.
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation.
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight cancellation.
Controllable delays
  • Rebook passenger on same airline at no additional cost for significant delays.
  • Rebook passenger on another airline at no additional cost for significant delays.
  • Meal or meal cash/voucher when flight delay results in passenger waiting three hours or more.
  • Complimentary hotel accommodations for any passenger affected by an overnight delay.
  • Complimentary ground transportation to and from hotel for any passenger affected by an overnight delay.

Can you get a refund when a train trip is canceled?

If you are traveling by train and your trip is cancelled, there may be options to get a refund.

For example, Amtrak provides that if an individual has canceled their reservation they may receive a refund to the original form of payment or receive an eVoucher to apply as payment toward future trip purchases. Customers receive a full refund to the original form of payment if they cancel or change their reservation within 24 hours of purchase.

Amtrak has waived all of its change fees for reservations made by February 28, 2023, including reservations booked with points.

Amtrak also provides an Illness Waiver Policy. When a passenger requests to change or cancel their travel plans due to an illness and provides a doctor’s note, Amtrak will modify or waive the fare change and refund policies that would normally apply to the change or cancellation. This waiver also applies to everyone you are traveling with.

Check CancerFinances.org for financial assistance resources that may help with the costs of traveling for treatment.

About Triage Cancer

Triage Cancer is a national, nonprofit providing free education to people diagnosed with cancer, caregivers, and health care professionals on cancer-related legal and practical issues. Through eventsmaterials, and resources, Triage Cancer is dedicated to helping people move beyond diagnosis.

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