---
kind: "section"
citation: "14 C.F.R. § 260.6"
title: "14"
number: "260.6"
heading: "Refunding fare for flights cancelled or significantly delayed or changed by carriers."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/14/260.6"
---

# §260.6. Refunding fare for flights cancelled or significantly delayed or changed by carriers.

- (a) **Carriers' obligation to provide refunds—**
  - (1) **Carriers' obligation.** A covered carrier that is the merchant of record must provide a full and prompt refund of the airfare, including any taxes and ancillary fees, as set forth in [paragraph (a)(2)](#a-2) of this section to a consumer that holds a nonrefundable ticket on a scheduled flight to, from, or within the United States for any cancelled flight or significantly delayed or changed flight where the consumer chooses not to:
    - (i) Fly on the significantly delayed or changed flight or accept rebooking on an alternative flight; or
    - (ii) Accept any voucher, credit, or other form of compensation offered by the air carrier or foreign air carrier pursuant to [paragraph (c)](#c) of this section.
  - (2) **Automatic refunds.** A full refund of the airfare, including any taxes and ancillary fees, is due to a consumer as described in [paragraphs (a)(2)(i) through (iii)](#a-2-i..a-2-iii) of this section:
    - (i) A flight is canceled and a consumer is not offered an alternative flight or any voucher, credit, or other form of compensation by the air carrier or foreign air carrier pursuant to [paragraph (c)](#c) of this section;
    - (ii) A consumer rejects the significantly delayed or changed flight, rebooking on an alternative flight, or any voucher, credit, or other form of compensation offered by the covered carrier pursuant to [paragraph (c)](#c) of this section; or
    - (iii) **A consumer does not respond to an offer of—**
      - (A) A significantly delayed or changed flight or an alternative flight and the flight departs without the consumer; or
      - (B) A voucher, credit, or other form of compensation by the date on which the cancelled flight was scheduled to depart or the date that the significantly delayed or changed flight departs.
- (b) **Individuals with a disability.** A carrier that is the merchant of record must provide a full and prompt refund to an individual with a disability upon notification by the individual with a disability that he/she does not want to continue travel because of the significant changes described in [paragraphs (b)(1) through (3)](#b-1..b-3) of this section. The covered carrier must also provide a full and prompt refund to any individuals in the same reservation as the individual with a disability who do not want to continue travel without the individual with a disability in situations described in [paragraphs (b)(1) through (3)](#b-1..b-3).
  - (1) The individual with a disability is downgraded to a lower class of service that results in one or more accessibility features needed by the individual becoming unavailable.
  - (2) The individual with a disability is scheduled to travel through one or more connecting airports that are different from the original itinerary.
  - (3) The individual with a disability is scheduled to travel on a substitute aircraft on which one or more accessibility features available on the original aircraft needed by the individual are unavailable.
- (c) **Alternative to refund.** A covered carrier may offer a voucher, credit, or other form of compensation as an explicit alternative to providing a refund required by [paragraph (a)](#a) of this section if:
  - (1) **The offer includes a clear and conspicuous notice of—**
    - (i) The terms of the offer as specified in [§ 260.8](/cfr/14/260.8.md); and
    - (ii) **The consumer's right to a full refund under this section.**
  - (2) The voucher, credit, or other form of compensation offered explicitly as an alternative to providing a refund required by [paragraph (a)](#a) of this section remains valid and redeemable by the consumer for a period of at least five years from the date on which such voucher, credit, or other form of compensation is issued;
  - (3) Upon the issuance of such voucher, credit, or other form of compensation, a covered carrier notifies the recipient of the expiration date of the voucher, credit, or other form of compensation; and
  - (4) Upon request by an individual who self identifies as an individual with a disability a covered carrier provides a notification under [paragraph (c)(3)](#c-3) of this section in an electronic format accessible to the recipient.
- (d) **Carriers' obligation to notify ticket agents.** In situations where a ticket agent is the merchant of record for the transaction, after receiving a refund request by a consumer through the ticket agent, the carrier that canceled or significantly delayed or changed the flight must inform the ticket agent without delay whether the consumer is eligible for a refund under this section (i.e., whether the consumer has accepted the significantly changed flight, the alternative flight, or other compensation offered in lieu of refunds).
- (e) **Carriers' obligation to transfer funds to ticket agents.** In situations where a ticket agent is responsible for providing the refund to the consumer pursuant to [14 CFR 399.80(l)](/cfr/14/399.80.md?p=l) and the ticket agent does not possess the funds of the consumer, that carrier that has the funds must promptly transfer the funds to the ticket agent.

## Notes

### Amendments

[DOT-OST-2022-0089, 89 FR 65537, Aug. 12, 2024]

### Authority

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 40101(a), 41702, 41712, and 42305.

### Source

Source: DOT-OST-2022-0089 and DOT-OST-2016-0208, 89 FR 32832, Apr. 26, 2024, unless otherwise noted.

### Amendments

[DOT-OST-2022-0089, 89 FR 65537, Aug. 12, 2024]