A U.S. Department of Transportation rule taking effect Oct. 19 will shrink the list of flight disruptions that count as an airline's fault, a change that could leave more travelers covering their own meals and hotel rooms heading into the holiday season.
The rule governs how carriers report the causes of delays and cancellations to the DOT. Beginning Oct. 19, the "Air Carrier" cause code will be reserved for disruptions directly within an airline's control, and carriers will be barred from using it for 10 categories of events. The change implements Section 511(b) of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024.
The reclassification has consequences beyond record-keeping. Major U.S. carriers, including American, Delta, Southwest, and United, have committed to providing meals, hotel stays, and other amenities only when a disruption is deemed controllable. According to travel insurance marketplace Squaremouth, the DOT expects fewer passengers to receive those amenities once the rule is in place.
The 10 events that will no longer count against the airline:
- Deep cleaning of an aircraft following a passenger's death
- Aircraft damage from weather, debris, or sabotage
- Failures of baggage systems run by third parties
- Cyberattacks, provided the carrier complies with applicable regulations
- Sudden failures of federal systems that affect flight safety
- Brakes overheating as the result of an emergency
- Mandatory, unscheduled maintenance required before a flight
- Medical emergencies the airline did not cause
- Removal of an unruly passenger
- Airport closures caused by weather or volcanic activity
Unscheduled maintenance is likely the most consequential item on the list. Scheduled maintenance still falls within the airline's control, Erika Josefsson, a passenger rights expert at AirHelp, told Forbes Advisor, but unplanned work that can't be deferred, including repairs made in response to an airworthiness directive, will not.
Roughly 24% of flights operated by U.S. carriers were delayed, canceled, or diverted between July 2025 and July 2026, according to Bureau of Transportation Statistics data cited by Forbes Advisor. Air carrier delays were the most common cause over that period, affecting 6.85% of all flights.
Refund rights are unaffected. Passengers remain entitled to a refund for the unused portion of a ticket when an airline cancels a flight or significantly changes an itinerary and the traveler declines the alternative, regardless of the cause.
For advisors, the rule puts more weight on two things: documentation and coverage. Josefsson recommends that travelers get the stated reason for a delay in writing or screenshot the airline's app notification, keep receipts, and check what the carrier's customer service plan promises for that specific cause. Travel delay, missed connection, trip interruption, and trip cancellation benefits can pick up costs an airline declines to cover, subject to each policy's terms and time thresholds.
"What an airline offers during a disruption can vary from one situation to the next, while a travel insurance policy clearly defines what is covered and under what circumstances," Chrissy Valdez, senior director of operations at Squaremouth, said in prepared remarks.
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