Biden-era rules once guaranteed refunds for controllable flight delays. But Trump’s administration just narrowed the list: ‘Quite a big blow’

A Biden-era requirement that airlines refund passengers after canceled or significantly delayed flights is being altered under President Donald Trump’s administration, according to The Independent. That earlier standard was set out in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 and required carriers to issue refunds when such disruptions occurred.

The federal government has recorded flight disruptions in four categories: air carriers, extreme weather, the National Aviation System, and security and late-arriving aircraft, according to The Hill. The cause of each disruption is reviewed before assigning blame.

Officials in the Trump administration are removing airline responsibility for 10 kinds of cancellations or delays described as outside the companies’ control. A Department of Transportation spokesperson said the move would reduce “the negative reputational impacts and harm that air carriers currently experience because the attribution of certain delay and cancellation causes to air carriers that this rulemaking addresses as not within their control.”

Ten disruption types now treated as outside airline control

One exemption covers a plane that has to be cleaned after a passenger dies. Another applies when an aircraft is damaged by extreme weather, foreign object debris, or sabotage, according to the Department of Transportation list.

A delay in loading bags or cargo caused by an outage in a bag system that neither the airline nor its contractors control is also exempted. A cyberattack that disrupts operations is included when the airline has followed federal cybersecurity rules.

A sudden shutdown or failure of government systems that directly blocks an airline from flying safely is on the list as well. So is a case in which a plane’s brakes overheat after emergency procedures are used in a safety incident.

Unscheduled maintenance that has to be completed before the next flight can leave is another exemption. An emergency that requires medical care and is outside the airline’s control is listed too.

Removing an unruly passenger from a flight is included. An airport closed by volcanic ash, wind, or wind shear is the tenth item identified by the Department of Transportation.

The Department of Transportation said the revisions would let airlines save money and avoid reputation damage from events they cannot control. The agency also said the rule would likely reduce “the total value of amenities and compensation currently provided by air carriers to consumers.”

Clint Hernserson, managing editor for The Points Guy, told Nexstar the change is likely to make refunds harder to obtain after cancellations or delays. He said, “This is quite a big blow potentially for customers,” The Independent quoted him. He also described the shift as “Quite a big blow.”

Hernserson singled out the unscheduled-maintenance exemption and called that item particularly egregious. For passengers, the new rules mean fewer avenues for recourse, as when a doctor on an American Airlines flight learned she had to prove she was on the plane after a major FAA violation.

“The one that is especially outrageous to me as a consumer advocate is that if a plane goes mechanical or has maintenance issues, that is no longer considered a reason the airline would give you compensation,” he said.

He said travelers will need to be “much more aggressive in researching delays and cancellations” if they want to protect their money before they fly.

“If the airline tells you it’s ‘mechanical’ or ‘operational,’ you’re going to need to do more research…ask exactly what the issue is and document everything. Save emails and take screenshots. Save receipts,” he said. “Don’t accept vague language. Finally, ask for what you want. Even if the answer is no, you have fought for yourself,” he added. Such aggressive documentation is crucial, as one traveler’s experience shows the need to challenge airlines over delays.