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What You’re Owed When a Flight Is Delayed at O’Hare or Midway
A practical guide to DOT refund rules, airline meal and hotel promises, and what to do during an ORD or MDW flight delay.
A flight delay does not automatically earn you cash under U.S. Department of Transportation rules. What you can claim depends on whether you still travel, how much the itinerary changes and whether the disruption was within the airline’s control.
Pick the reason you were given and the length of the delay to see what each of the nine dashboard airlines still owes you.
Delayed Because Of What? Here Is What The Airline Owes
Pick the reason the airline gave you. The answer separates the federal refund right, which applies whatever the cause, from the meal and hotel commitments that cover only controllable delays, and flags the ten causes DOT moves out of the controllable code on October 19, 2026.
Where Each Of The Nine Dashboard Airlines Stands
| Airline | Free rebooking on same airline | Free rebooking on a partner airline | Meal voucher, 3h+ controllable delay | Hotel, controllable overnight | Ground transport to hotel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Allegiant | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| American | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Delta | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Frontier | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| Hawaiian | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| JetBlue | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Southwest | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| United | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
All 16 Delay Causes And Their Classification
| Cause | Controllable | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Extreme weather | No | Reported under the Extreme Weather category, not the Air Carrier (controllable) code. |
| Air traffic control, FAA ground stop or other airspace-system issue | No | Reported under the National Aviation System category, not the Air Carrier code. |
| Security reason | No | Reported under the Security category, not the Air Carrier code. |
| Crew problems (crew timing out, late crew) | Yes | Controllable: DOT's dashboard names crew problems as an example, and BTS guidance lists crew legality and late crew under Air Carrier. |
| Airline's own computer outage | Yes | Controllable: BTS guidance lists computer outages of carrier equipment under Air Carrier. |
| Routine cabin cleaning, baggage loading or fueling | Yes | Controllable: DOT's dashboard names cabin cleaning, baggage loading and fueling as examples. |
| Aircraft cleaning after the death of a passenger | Not from Oct 19, 2026 | Section 511(b) event: from October 19, 2026 it must be reported outside the Air Carrier (controllable) code. Until then, BTS reporting guidance lists aircraft cleaning under the Air Carrier (controllable) code. |
| Aircraft damage from extreme weather, foreign object debris or sabotage | Not from Oct 19, 2026 | Section 511(b) event: from October 19, 2026 it must be reported outside the Air Carrier (controllable) code. Until then, BTS reporting guidance lists aircraft damage other than bird strikes and lightning or hail under the Air Carrier (controllable) code. |
| Bag system outage not controlled by the airline or its contractor | Not from Oct 19, 2026 | Section 511(b) event: from October 19, 2026 it must be reported outside the Air Carrier (controllable) code. Until then, BTS reporting guidance lists baggage loading under the Air Carrier (controllable) code. |
| Cybersecurity attack (airline compliant with cybersecurity rules) | Not from Oct 19, 2026 | Section 511(b) event: from October 19, 2026 it must be reported outside the Air Carrier (controllable) code. |
| Unexpected shutdown or failure of government systems affecting safe operation | Not from Oct 19, 2026 | Section 511(b) event: from October 19, 2026 it must be reported outside the Air Carrier (controllable) code. |
| Overheated brakes after a safety incident using emergency procedures | Not from Oct 19, 2026 | Section 511(b) event: from October 19, 2026 it must be reported outside the Air Carrier (controllable) code. Until then, BTS reporting guidance lists hot brakes restrictions under the Air Carrier (controllable) code. |
| Unscheduled maintenance that cannot be deferred before flight | Not from Oct 19, 2026 | Section 511(b) event: from October 19, 2026 it must be reported outside the Air Carrier (controllable) code. Until then, BTS reporting guidance lists maintenance under the Air Carrier (controllable) code. |
| Medical emergency through no fault of the airline | Not from Oct 19, 2026 | Section 511(b) event: from October 19, 2026 it must be reported outside the Air Carrier (controllable) code. Until then, BTS reporting guidance lists medical emergencies under the Air Carrier (controllable) code. |
| Removal of an unruly passenger | Not from Oct 19, 2026 | Section 511(b) event: from October 19, 2026 it must be reported outside the Air Carrier (controllable) code. Until then, BTS reporting guidance lists removal of an unruly passenger under the Air Carrier (controllable) code. |
| Airport closure due to volcanic ash, wind or wind shear | Not from Oct 19, 2026 | Section 511(b) event: from October 19, 2026 it must be reported outside the Air Carrier (controllable) code. |
Sources And What This Does Not Cover
Classification and effective date: Federal Register, 91 FR 56588 (September 3, 2026), DOT final rule amending 14 CFR 234.4 to implement Section 511(b) of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, effective October 19, 2026. Airline commitments: DOT Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard. Refund right: 14 CFR part 260, refunds within 7 business days for credit card purchases and 20 calendar days for other payment methods when the flight is cancelled or significantly delayed (arrival 3+ hours late domestic, 6+ hours international) and you decline the alternative offered.
Dashboard commitments come from each airline's customer service plan; DOT says airlines must honor them and it will hold them accountable. The October 19, 2026 rule changes how airlines report delay causes to DOT; DOT expects it to reduce the meals, hotels and compensation airlines provide, but each airline's plan sets what it actually offers. The six non-511(b) rows are common examples, not a complete list.
The short answer
| What happens | What you may be owed |
|---|---|
| You take the delayed or replacement flight | No federally required cash compensation; meals, a hotel or rebooking may be available under the airline’s commitments |
| A domestic itinerary will arrive at least 3 hours late and you decline to travel | Refund |
| An international itinerary will arrive at least 6 hours late and you decline to travel | Refund |
| The airline cancels and you decline its alternatives | Refund, regardless of the reason for cancellation |
| You are stuck onboard during a tarmac delay | Water and a snack no later than 2 hours after the delay begins, subject to a safety or security exception; deplaning protections also apply |
A refund returns money you paid; it is not extra compensation for lost time. This guidance covers delays and cancellations, not involuntary bumping from an oversold flight, which has separate rules.
When the DOT refund rule applies
DOT defines a significant delay or change to include arrival at the destination at least 3 hours late on a domestic itinerary or 6 hours late on an international itinerary. It also covers a different origin or destination airport, added connections and an involuntary downgrade. You qualify for a refund if you decline to travel on the changed itinerary and do not accept a travel credit, voucher or other compensation in place of the refund. The DOT refund page lists the full criteria.
If you bought directly from the airline, the refund should be automatic once the airline knows you did not accept its alternative. It must go to the original payment method within seven business days for a credit-card purchase or 20 calendar days for another payment method. If a travel agency is listed as the merchant on your statement, that merchant is responsible for the airfare refund.
Do not accept a travel credit merely because it appears first in the app if you want your money returned. Airlines must tell you about the refund option when offering alternative transportation or credit.
Meals, hotels and rebooking depend on the cause
For a controllable delay—one caused by the airline, such as a crew, cabin-cleaning, baggage-loading or fueling problem—a carrier may have committed to free rebooking, a meal after a three-hour wait, or lodging and ground transportation after an overnight disruption. Weather and air-traffic-control problems do not normally count as airline-caused disruptions. A DOT final rule (91 FR 56588) also moves ten events out of the controllable category from October 19, 2026, including unscheduled maintenance that cannot be deferred, a medical emergency and the removal of an unruly passenger.
These amenities are carrier commitments, not one universal compensation rule. Check your airline on the DOT cancellation and delay dashboard. A green check means the airline has committed to that benefit; a red X means it has not, although it may still help at its discretion. DOT says airlines must honor promises in their customer-service plans. Not every airline promises rebooking on another carrier.
What to do at ORD or MDW
- Check the airline app and gate display. Chicago’s official O’Hare and Midway delay page shows airport-level conditions, but directs travelers to their carrier for a specific flight.
- Ask for the recorded cause. This determines whether controllable-delay commitments apply.
- Say what you want: “Please rebook me under your customer-service commitment,” or “I decline the changed itinerary and want the DOT-required refund.”
- Save evidence. Keep schedule-change screenshots, messages, boarding passes and itemized receipts. Before buying a hotel room or meal, ask whether the airline will issue a voucher or reimburse you.
- Escalate if needed. Contact the airline or ticket agent first. If the problem remains unresolved, use the DOT air-travel complaint form; have your booking and flight details plus supporting documents ready.
A separate rule applies when an aircraft remains on the ground and passengers cannot get off. At a U.S. airport, covered airlines generally must begin moving a departing plane to a place where passengers can deplane before three hours for domestic flights or four hours for international flights. Arriving passengers must receive an opportunity to deplane within the same limits. Safety, security and air-traffic-control exceptions apply. The DOT tarmac-delay guidance also requires drinking water and a snack no later than two hours after the delay begins.