New flight delay refund policies you should know

If you plan to fly soon, you should know your rights because some big changes in the airline industry just went into effect.

The biggest thing is if you face delays and cancellations when flying, especially over the holidays, you should get a refund automatically and faster.

If your next domestic flight is delayed by more than three hours, you now automatically qualify for a full refund, and the same goes for international flights, with delays of over six hours.

Under the new rules, passengers no longer have to request refunds.

“They will be required to provide a refund to the credit card that you used to book it, without you having to call or wait on hold or search for digital paperwork or haggle with that airline,” said Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of Transportation.

Refunds must be completed within seven days if you paid by credit card and within 20 days for other payment types.

That’s good news for travelers at Southwest Florida International Airport.

“So, I think it’s just amazing that now it’s just more fair for us, so it makes us want to travel more, so that’s awesome,” a traveler at RSW said.

This new rule also includes delayed baggage. If your luggage isn’t delivered within 24 hours on a domestic flight, you’ll get those baggage fees refunded, too.