Thousands of flights affected by FAA ground stop. Here are your rights as a passenger
Thousands of flights across America were delayed, canceled or stuck on the tarmac Friday after the FAA announced a ground stop due to a communications issue with its air traffic control centers.
The sudden announcement left weary travelers scrambling and unsure about when they could make it to their destinations — and what sort of compensation they may be entitled to.
More than 10,000 flights within the United States were delayed and more than 5,000 were canceled as of 4:30 p.m. Friday, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.
Flights that already were in the air when the ground stop began were allowed to continue to their destinations, while all other domestic flights were held on the ground. International flights were being handled on a case-by-case basis, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The cause of the technical issue was unknown and there was no estimated time for resuming domestic flights Friday.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said there was no reason to believe that the telecommunications outage was caused by a foreign or nefarious actor.
Here is what you should know if you are among the travelers affected.
If your flight is stuck on the tarmac
Under U.S. Department of Transportation regulations, all airlines at U.S. airports are required to allow passengers to deplane within three hours of a tarmac delay on domestic flights and within four hours on international flights. A tarmac delay applies to planes awaiting takeoff or planes that have just landed where passengers are unable to get off.
Airlines are generally required to provide water and snacks to passengers within two hours of a tarmac delay. Working toilets and comfortable air cabin temperatures must also be maintained and medical care must be provided if needed.
If your flight is delayed
Passengers are not automatically entitled to financial compensation if their flight is delayed. Passengers do generally have rights to a refund if there is a significant change to their travel plans and they choose not to continue traveling. The Department of Transportation defines this as departing or arriving at least three hours later than scheduled for domestic flights and at least six hours later than scheduled for international flights.
Several airlines have announced flexible travel policies to make it easier for passengers to change flights or receive refunds during the ground stop.
United Airlines released a statement Friday saying it would waive change fees and fare differences for passengers who opt to reschedule their trip for a new flight departing on or before Nov. 20. Passengers affected by the air traffic control outage who cancel or don’t take their trip are entitled to a full refund, the airline said.
Delta Airlines also announced a travel waiver allowing customers affected by the ground stop to change their flight at no extra cost. Alaska Airlines has a flexible travel policy in place allowing refunds for canceled flights and waived fees for certain flight changes.
If your flight is canceled
Passengers are entitled to a full refund if their flights are canceled and they choose not to accept alternative flights, per DOT regulations. Federal law does not require airlines to provide meal or hotel vouchers to passengers when a cancellation is caused by factors outside of an airline’s control.