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What are your rights if your flight is delayed or cancelled? It may depend on the weather.

A winter storm is upending travel plans in the Southeast on Tuesday. Winter storm warnings are in effect from Texas through the Carolinas, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly 2,000 U.S. flights have been canceled as of 8:45 a.m. ET, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. That includes one in five United Airlines flights and more than one in 10 Southwest Airlines flights, most of which were canceled Monday ahead of the storm’s impact.

More than 90% of flights from George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport in Houston and almost 90% of flights from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport are canceled.

Airlines are offering travel exemptions to affected travelers. Here’s what you’ll owe if your flight is canceled or delayed by the storm.

Which airlines offer waivers?

Weather exemptions vary by airline and airport and only apply to certain time periods, so be sure to check the details for your situation below.

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A pedestrian crosses the street as snow falls in El Paso on January 9, 2025. Parts of Texas are expected to see more snow on Tuesday.

What does an airline owe you if your flight is cancelled?

If your flight is canceled for any reason, you are entitled to a refund if you choose not to travel.

When a flight is canceled for reasons within the airline’s control, travelers who choose to postpone the flight are eligible for compensation or accommodation, such as rebooking to another flight or airline at no additional charge, accommodation or meal vouchers and other benefits . Notably, weather is outside of an airline’s control.

The Department of Transportation has created a dashboard that allows travelers to easily access information about the services U.S. airlines provide in the event of manageable cancellations or delays.

Click here to access the DOT cancellation and delay dashboard.

What is a manageable cancellation or delay?

According to the DOT, a controllable cancellation or delay is a cancellation or delay caused by the airline itself. Controllable reasons include maintenance or crew issues, cabin cleaning, baggage loading and refueling. Things like weather or air traffic control programs don’t count for the airline.

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What happens if a flight is delayed?

A new DOT rule that went into effect in late October requires airlines to refund passengers if their flight is significantly delayed for reasons within the airline’s control. It also makes airlines more responsible for meeting their own customer obligations in such cases.

If your flight is significantly delayed for a reason within the airline’s control, you are entitled to a refund if you choose not to travel. If you decide to postpone, you may be entitled to some compensation or accommodation, including free rebooking on another flight or airline, meal and accommodation vouchers for eligible delays, and other benefits if the delay was manageable.

No U.S. airline currently offers cash compensation for delays, but the big four (American, Delta, Southwest, and United) all offer hotel and ground transportation vouchers for manageable overnight delays.

Airline-specific details can be found on the DOT dashboard.

What is a significant delay?

The DOT defines a significant delay as a departure or arrival that is three hours or more late for a domestic flight, or six hours or more late for an international flight.

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What should you do if your flight is canceled or delayed?

Look up your airline’s policies and be your own advocate. Contact the airline in any way possible, via the app, via social media, by phone or at the airport helpdesk if you are already on the road.

It’s good to have some alternative flights in mind when speaking to an agent, and make sure you ask about any accommodation or refunds you may be entitled to if you plan to use this policy.

Contributing: Josh Rivera, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Flight cancellations pile up Tuesday. What are your rights?

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