After a technology outage disrupted the operations of major airlines Friday, you may be wondering if you'll be able to get any refunds for a canceled or heavily delayed flight.
The Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport saw 33% of their flights delayed or canceled by 10 a.m. Friday and varying cancellations and delays rippled throughout the state's airports, including the closure of LaGuardia from midnight to around 6 a.m.
Here's what to know about any flight-related refunds you may be eligible for.
What does travel insurance cover?
Canceled flights delaying your trip for at least 3-12 hours are typically covered by comprehensive travel insurance, Progressive said . And if your flight is delayed more than 12 hours, you may qualify for trip cancellation coverage, depending on your plan.
If your flight is delayed or canceled for a covered reason and not rebooked in a certain amount of time, you can file a claim through your insurer.
You also may qualify for reimbursements for some or all of these costs caused by your delayed flight, including:
- Extra accommodation and food costs
- Missed pre-paid trip events
- Added costs for meeting up with your cruise or travel group
And, according to Progressive, federal law requires airlines to reimburse you if they cancel a flight or delay it for a certain amount of time and you choose not to travel. If the delay or cancellation qualifies, file a refund request through the airline.
Which airlines are offering refunds?
Many airlines are back up and running after Friday's difficulties but most haven't given clear answers when it comes to if or how they're working to alleviate customers' troubles.
Delta Airlines
Delta issued a travel waiver for all customers who booked flights departing Friday, allowing them to manage their travel changes via delta.com and the FlyDelta app.
The fare difference will be waived if your rebooked travel occurs on or before Wednesday, July 24 in the same cabin of service as you had originally booked.
American Airlines
Customers whose travel plans were affected by the outage were offered a chance to rebook without fees, cancel or receive a refund, according to the airline , but American Airlines hasn't confirmed whether the offer still exists or has since been ended.
JetBlue
JetBlue did not respond to a request for the airline's reimbursement options offered in the wake of Friday's outage.
United Airlines
When asked whether any type of refund was available for their affected customers, United did not provide an answer, only that the airline is working to return customers' bags to them, which includes help from FedEx.
Emily Barnes is the New York State Team consumer advocate reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @byemilybarnes . Get in touch at ebarnes@gannett.com .
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Stranded at a NY airport during tech outage? You could be eligible for a refund
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