Do I get a refund if a ground stop cancels my flight?

Yes, under US rules. If your flight is cancelled, or delayed or changed significantly, and you choose not to travel or accept rebooking or a voucher, the airline must refund the fare, taxes and fees. This applies whatever the cause, including weather and air traffic control ground stops.

What counts as a significant delay for a refund?

For flights to, from or within the US: departing 3 or more hours earlier or arriving 3 or more hours later than scheduled on a domestic itinerary, or 6 or more hours for an international itinerary. A different departure or arrival airport, more connections, or a downgrade to a lower class also count.

Will the airline pay for my meals or hotel after a weather delay?

Usually not. US airlines commit to meals and hotels only when the delay or cancellation is within their control. Weather and FAA ground stops are not, though some airlines help anyway. The refund rule still applies.

How fast do refunds have to arrive?

Within 7 business days for credit card purchases and 20 calendar days for other payment methods, to the original form of payment, unless you agree to take a voucher or credit instead.

Your rights when your flight is delayed or cancelled

Most ground stops are caused by weather or air traffic control, which airlines don't control. That shapes what you're owed: in the US you are entitled to a refund when your flight is cancelled or significantly delayed, whatever the cause, but meals, hotels and compensation are generally only promised when the airline caused the problem.

The short version

Cancelled, or delayed 3+ hours (domestic) or 6+ hours (international)? If you don't want to fly on the new schedule or accept rebooking or a voucher, the airline must refund your fare, taxes and fees.^[1]
Refunds are automatic once you turn down the alternatives, and due within 7 business days (credit card) or 20 calendar days (other payment).^[1]
Meals and hotels are promised by US airlines only for delays and cancellations within their control. Weather and FAA ground stops usually aren't.^[4]
Stuck on the plane? Airlines must provide food and water within 2 hours and let you off within 3 hours (domestic) or 4 hours (international), with safety exceptions.^[8]
Flying from Europe or the UK? EU261 and UK261 can add cash compensation and meals and hotels regardless of cause.^[10]^[11]

Refunds: the US automatic refund rule

Since 2024, the US Department of Transportation (DOT) requires airlines and ticket agents to give a full refund of the fare, including taxes and fees, on flights to, from or within the US when a flight is cancelled or significantly delayed or changed and you choose not to travel.^[2]^[1] The rule doesn't care why: a cancellation caused by a thunderstorm ground stop qualifies just like one caused by a crew shortage.

What counts as a significant delay or change

Change	Domestic itinerary	International itinerary
Departs earlier than scheduled	3 hours or more	6 hours or more
Arrives later than scheduled	3 hours or more	6 hours or more
Different departure or arrival airport	Always significant
More connections than the original itinerary	Always significant
Downgraded to a lower class of service	Always significant

Travelers with a disability also qualify when they're rerouted through different connecting airports or moved to an aircraft without accessibility features they need.^[1]

How the refund works

When it's due: once you reject the new flight, rebooking or voucher, or don't respond and the flight leaves without you, or the airline offers no alternative at all.^[1]
How fast: within 7 business days for credit card purchases and 20 calendar days for cash, check, debit card and other payments.^[1]
In what form: the original form of payment. A voucher or travel credit only replaces the refund if you agree to it, and one offered instead of a refund must stay valid for at least five years.^[1]
Extras: fees for things you paid for but didn't get (a seat assignment, Wi‑Fi) are refundable, and so is your checked bag fee if the bag arrives more than 12 hours late on a domestic trip (15 or 30 hours on international ones).^[1]
Taking the new flight means no refund. If you accept rebooking or fly on the delayed flight, the refund right goes away, so decide before you board.

One current exception: DOT is not enforcing the refund rule when an airline only renumbers a flight that otherwise operates without a significant change, while it reconsiders the definition of a cancelled flight. That pause runs until July 7, 2027.^[3]

Meals, hotels and rebooking: what airlines commit to

No US rule requires airlines to pay for meals or hotels during delays. Instead, each large US airline publishes commitments in its customer service plan, which it must follow^[5], and DOT tracks them on its Airline Customer Service Dashboard.^[4] These commitments only apply when the cause is within the airline's control (maintenance, crew, cleaning, baggage loading and the like). For those disruptions, airlines on the dashboard commit to:

rebooking you on their own next available flight at no extra cost;
a meal voucher or meal cash when you wait 3 hours or more;
a hotel room and transport to it for an overnight disruption (most airlines; check yours on the dashboard);
for some airlines, rebooking on a partner or another airline, or extra compensation in miles, credit or cash.

Ground stops are usually not controllable. FAA ground stops and ground delay programs are issued for weather, traffic volume, equipment and other airport or airspace problems, which airlines report as weather or National Airspace System delays. So when a ground stop delays you, these commitments generally don't apply, though airlines often rebook for free and sometimes offer vouchers anyway. Ask.

From October 19, 2026, a new DOT rule also takes ten more kinds of events out of the “airline-controlled” category, including unscheduled maintenance that can't be deferred, a passenger medical emergency, removing an unruly passenger, certain cyberattacks and government system failures, and airport closures for wind, wind shear or volcanic ash. DOT expects fewer delays to qualify for meals, hotels and compensation as a result.^[6]

There is no US requirement to pay cash compensation for delays. DOT proposed one in December 2024 and withdrew the proposal in November 2025.^[7]

Stuck on the tarmac during a ground stop

A ground stop can leave you waiting on the plane after pushback. For flights at US airports, airlines must:^[8]

provide food and drinking water no later than 2 hours into a tarmac delay;
keep lavatories working and provide medical attention if needed;
update passengers once the delay passes 30 minutes;
give you the chance to get off before 3 hours (domestic) or 4 hours (international), unless the pilot decides it isn't safe or air traffic control says returning to the gate would significantly disrupt the airport.

International trips: EU261 and UK261

Europe's rules are more generous. They apply to flights departing the EU or UK on any airline, and to flights arriving in the EU on an EU airline or in the UK on a UK or EU airline.^[10]^[11]

Care, whatever the cause: meals and refreshments during long delays, and a hotel and transport when you're delayed overnight, even when the cause is weather or air traffic control.^[10]
Cash compensation: €250, €400 or €600 (EU) or £220, £350 or £520 (UK), depending on distance, when you arrive 3 or more hours late or your flight is cancelled with less than 14 days' notice, unless the airline shows “extraordinary circumstances”. Bad weather and air traffic control decisions usually are.^[10]^[11]
Refund: if the delay reaches 5 hours, you can choose not to travel and get your money back.^[10]

The EU agreed a reform of these rules in 2026. Until it takes effect, the rules above still apply; check the EU's Your Europe page for the latest.

How to ask for what you're owed

Check why you're delayed. Look up your airport on GroundStop.app: an FAA ground stop or ground delay program points to weather or air traffic control; no FAA program suggests the cause may be the airline's.
Decide before you rebook. If you don't want to travel, decline the new flight and request a refund in the airline's app or website. Don't accept a voucher unless you want one.
Ask for the airline's commitments if the cause is within its control: meal vouchers, a hotel, rebooking on another airline. Keep receipts.
Escalate if a refund doesn't arrive on time: file a complaint with DOT^[9], or dispute the charge with your card issuer.

Sources

Last reviewed October 2, 2026. GroundStop.app is not affiliated with DOT, the FAA or any airline.