Flight delayed for hours? How to figure out when you get can a refund or rebooked.

If you're hopping on a plane for a much-anticipated summer vacation, you might be tempted, really tempted, to demand a full refund if your flight faces horrific delays or even gets canceled.

But cool your jets for a second and ask yourself if a refund will solve the problem at hand. Would it get you where you need to go? Would it be better to get rebooked at no extra charge? After all, how much will it cost you now to book a new flight on the fly? Would the refund even cover it?

Does it make sense to get a $300 refund for a much-delayed or canceled flight when it would cost you $550 to get on another flight to get home?

Consumers are getting an upgrade in the months ahead when it comes to a smoother process for getting a refund. And if you know what's next, you might even politely request that airlines play by the new refund rules before they go into place. You never know; it could work in some cases for travelers this summer, too.

In April, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced broader, straightforward consumer protections that address key complaints. Rules take effect Oct. 28 relating to automatic, no-hassle cash refunds for significantly changed or canceled flights; fees for services not provided, like seat selection or Wi-Fi; and fees for checked bags that hit significant snags.

What are some new rules ahead for refunds for air travel

When the refund rule goes into place on Oct. 28, airlines must automatically issue refunds without passengers having to explicitly request them or jump through hoops. Airlines and ticket agents must issue refunds within seven business days for credit card purchases. The airlines will have up to 20 calendar days to issue refunds if you used a debit card, paid cash or paid another way.

What's key for summer travelers to understand is that they have some rights already and can certainly request refunds now based on the new rules ahead, said Teresa Murray, who directs the Consumer Watchdog office for U.S. PIRG, a nonprofit advocacy group that has advocated for more passenger protections.

Right now, Murray said, airlines must offer a refund when a flight was completely canceled, no matter the reason, even if the canceled flight was weather related. PIRG has an online guide explaining new airline passenger rights and effective dates.

"A lot of times the airlines would push a voucher or a credit or weasel around and do this or that," Murray said. "When the law takes effect, they won't be able to put up any obstacles. It has to be a no-hassle refund, if that's what the passenger wants."

Under the new rules, the airlines will not just hand you a voucher or travel credit as a substitute for a refund, unless that's what you want.

Under the new rules, travel vouchers or credits provided by airlines must be transferrable and valid for at least five years from the date the voucher was issued. A voucher couldn't expire in a year or even less. And you aren't required to take a voucher if you want a cash refund.

But if you want, you can accept a ticket for a rebooked flight or the significantly delayed flight instead of a refund.

Airlines canceled hundreds of thousands of flights during the COVID-19 pandemic. While federal law required a refund in such cancellation cases, consumer watchdogs noted, many consumers got stuck with a voucher that some couldn't ultimately use.

Refund complaints peaked at 87% of all air travel service complaints in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, according to the Transportation Department. And a substantial share of complaints involving refunds continue to be made to the Transportation Department.

Another key point: You'd be able to get a full refund of the ticket purchase price, minus the value of any portion of transportation already used. If you completed the first leg of your journey, you're not getting a refund for that part of the trip. "The refunds must include all government-imposed taxes and fees and airline-imposed fees, regardless of whether the taxes or fees are refundable to airlines," according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Some special circumstances are covered. In the future, airlines will need to issue credits or vouchers to travelers who cancel because they’re sick with a serious communicable disease. They'd have to document the claim with medical records. Airlines have until April 28, 2025, to comply with this change.

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As people travel during the summer, some are bound to face some lengthy delays and dramatic shifts in flight plans.

Currently, airlines are permitted to set their own standards for what kind of flight changes warrant a refund. In the past, the Transportation Department received complaints from consumers that some airlines revised and applied less consumer-friendly refund policies during spikes in flight cancellations and changes. Going forward, the new rules will be transparent.

Fortunately, some passengers are already reporting that some airlines are telling them that they can be rebooked or receive a refund, you pick, if they're looking at a lengthy delay, Murray said.

Airlines "don't have to do it yet," Murray said. "They certainly can. Some of the airlines have been doing it in some cases for years."

Once the rules officially change, Murray said, she remains concerned that some airlines might not be as upfront about refunds if a flight faces a string of delays.

Imagine hearing at first that your flight will be delayed 45 minutes when you're already at the gate. But after that, the flight faces another hour delay and then another hour and a half delay. At that point, the traveler might not have more options to rebook after waiting more than three hours. Will they be able to be easily rebooked even on another airline? Or offered a refund seamlessly?

"I don't see all of the airlines playing nice," she said.

Another concern: Travelers are likely to need to pay more attention when they get a text or email from the airline. If a traveler doesn’t respond to an offer for a rebooked flight or a voucher, she said, the airline can automatically issue a refund.

How will airlines define a significant flight delay

This fall, the new rule spells out when a refund would be required if you face a significant change, including if the flight is late by more than three hours domestically and six hours internationally.

A significant change would also include if you're required to depart from or arrive at a different airport. You'd also be covered if the change involves increasing the number of connections; instances where passengers are downgraded to a lower class of service; or connections at different airports or flights on different planes that are less accessible or accommodating to a person with a disability.

Don't forget about asking for refunds for money paid for extra services that aren't provided. Currently, you'd need to search through airline websites to figure out how to make the request. You'd likely need to fill out extra “digital paperwork” in many cases. But it might be worth your time, if you have the time to do so.

Did you pay extra for luggage that was checked but faced massive delays? Or pay for other services?

Under new refund rules that go into place Oct. 28, the Transportation Department will require refunds for baggage fees when bags are delayed by 12 hours or more for domestic flights. The timeframe would be a baggage delay of 15 hours to 30 hours of their international flight arriving at the gate, depending on the length of the flight.

Under the new Transportation Department rules ahead, passengers will be entitled to a refund when they paid a fee for an extra service — such as Wi-Fi, seat selection, or in-flight entertainment — if an airline fails to provide this service.

Frustrations can really heat up when you're dealing with chaotic scenes at the airport. But extraordinary delays could be a tad less troublesome if it truly becomes easier than it has been in the past to get a refund or relief.

How to prepare for possible flight delays and trouble

If you're traveling this summer, remain on alert for potential delays. Download the airline’s app a week or so before travel to get notifications, help with rebooking and contact customer service.

Watch for texts and emails from the airline, even just before you head to the airport or while you're waiting at the terminal.

Get to know the DOT Airline Customer Service Dashboard, which helps you research up-to-date voluntary policies for the 10 largest airlines, including Delta Air Lines. All of the 10 airlines, for example, will rebook on the same airline at no additional cost for significant delays and controllable cancellations. Many but not all will rebook on another airline if an agreement exists with that airline and do so at no additional charge. See FlightRights.gov.

Look into sites like FlightAware.com to anticipate possible delays. Search for your specific flight a day before the scheduled takeoff and a few times that day. Go to the link “Where is my plane now?” You’ll see what city your plane is in currently and whether it’s on time. If that plane isn't moving, you need to address the possibility of troublesome delays or a flight cancellation.

You might not always be able to settle a problem at the gate. You might need to contact the airline directly, perhaps via a bank of phones at the airport. If one airline service agent cannot help, ask for someone who has the authority to make a change to fix the problem created by the flight delay.

Murray recommends being pleasant, polite but on point. "Always be polite. But say, 'I didn't cause this. And I need to get here. I need to get to this wedding. I need to get to this cruise,' " Murray said. Ask what the airline can do to fix the problem. "Some of the airlines are better about it than others," Murray said.

Go through the normal routes, like customer service, first, she said. If you're not getting anywhere, reach out to the airline via hashtags on social media. It works in many cases.

"All of sudden, poof, out of thin air, help arrives," Murray said.

Contact personal finance columnist Susan Tompor: stompor@freepress.com. Follow her on X (Twitter) @tompor.