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If Alaska cancels your flight, you're owed a refund. Hotels and meals depend on the cause
If Alaska cancels your flight you can take the rebooking or a full refund, and what it pays beyond that depends on whether the airline or something outside it caused the problem. Alaska names air traffic control as an exception, so the 13 November stop sits outside its meal and hotel promises.
This page sets out Alaska's written commitments with clause references, its waiver for the 13 November 2026 FAA ground stop as it changed, how many flights it cancelled, and how to ask for a refund, expenses and a delay letter.
Alaska owes you a full refund when it cancels and you don't fly
US law gives every passenger on a flight to, from or within the United States a full refund of the fare, taxes and extra fees when the airline cancels, and you don't travel or accept a credit. The rule has no exception for the cause, so an FAA ground stop doesn't remove it. 1
The same applies to a significant delay or change: arriving 3 hours or more late on a domestic itinerary or 6 hours or more on an international one, a different airport, more connections or a downgrade (14 CFR 260.2).
The airline must pay within 7 business days for a credit card purchase and within 20 calendar days for cash, cheque or debit card, back to your original form of payment. A voucher counts only if you agree to it, and must last at least 5 years (14 CFR 260.6 and 260.7).
If you accept the rebooking and fly, the refund right for that fare ends. DOT isn't enforcing the rule where a flight was only renumbered and ran without a significant delay, until 7 July 2027. 2
US law sets no cash compensation for a delay or cancellation and requires no hotels or meals. Those come only from Alaska's own commitments, below.
Alaska pays for hotels and meals only when it caused the problem
When Alaska caused it (crew, mechanical, its own systems)
For a cancellation or delay within its control, Alaska gives a reasonable meal voucher once the delay reaches 3 hours (2 hours on Canada flights). It provides a hotel with round-trip transport for an overnight stay at an airport 100 or more miles from home, or repays reasonable costs if no voucher hotel is free.
On request it offers a choice of compensation, including a discount code of at least US$50. Taking a travel credit in place of these amenities waives them.
“canceled or delayed due to circumstances within our control, complimentary hotel accommodations will be provided”
Contract of Carriage (revised 25 August 2026), Rule 8.E.a to 8.E.d; customer commitment page, Care During a Delay 4
When something outside Alaska caused it (weather, air traffic control, government orders)
Alaska's commitment page says it can't provide those amenities when air traffic control, weather, a passenger's illness or another force majeure event occurs anywhere in the routing.
The contract's Force Majeure Event names air traffic control delays and government regulation (Rule 1.AA). Rule 8.D lets Alaska cancel or delay without liability, subject to law, and rebook, refund or give a travel certificate.
“unable to provide the amenities outlined in this section if air traffic control, a weather situation”
Contract of Carriage Rule 1.AA, Rule 8.B and Rule 8.D; customer commitment page, Care During a Delay, Exceptions 5
Alaska names air traffic control as an exception, so the 13 November stop sits outside its meal and hotel promises.
Check what Alaska owes you for your own flight
Pick what happened. The answer combines the US refund rule with Alaska's written commitments as read on 15 November 2026.
Alaska's waiver widened from one travel day to three
A travel waiver lets you change or cancel a ticket for set dates without the usual fees. This log records each version of Alaska's waiver for the 13 November 2026 FAA ground stop, stamped with the date it was read, so it reads as history. It doesn't promise hotels or meals, and none of these versions mentioned them.
| Read on | Version | Terms | Status | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Nov 2026 | First reports | Bought by 13 November for travel on 13 November. Same cabin through 16 November with no fare difference.Press reports. Superseded by the policy below. | Reported elsewhere | 6 |
| 15 Nov 2026 | alaskaair.com travel advisory as read | Tickets bought on or before 13 November for original travel 13 to 15 November. Change fee and fare difference waived for new travel in the same cabin through 18 November, or cancel fee-free into Wallet funds or a credit certificate, before the original flight departs. A refund to the original payment applies where the flight was cancelled or moved more than 2 hours. Joint policy with Hawaiian. Hotels and meals not mentioned. | Checked at source | 3 7 |
Summary for 13 November as held in the site data: waiver Yes; travel Original travel 13 to 15 Nov; rebook New travel through 18 Nov; fare difference Waived; refund Not stated; hotels and meals Not mentioned. Compare every airline at the airline responses table.
Alaska and Hawaiian cancelled nearly 600 flights by Saturday morning
Counts from 13 and 14 November 2026 are snapshots by different trackers at different times, so they rise through the day. Each row shows when it was taken.
| Date | Measure | Figure | Status | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Nov 2026 | Alaska Air Group: cancellations by 6pm PT Friday | More than 200 | Checked at source | 3 |
| 13 Nov 2026 | Alaska and Hawaiian: exempt flying | Flights within Alaska and between the Hawaiian islands were not affected | Checked at source | 3 |
| 14 Nov 2026 | Alaska Air Group: cancellations by 10am PT Saturday | Nearly 600 | Checked at source | 3 |
| 14 Nov 2026 | Alaska Air Group: guests affected by 10am PT Saturday | More than 52,000 | Checked at source | 3 |
| 14 Nov 2026 | Alaska Air Group: cancellations per NBC News, 6:12pm ET Saturday | More than 400 flights, nearly 37,000 passengers | Not confirmed | 8 |
| 14 Nov 2026 | Alaska Air Group: expected recovery | Disruption expected "through the weekend" | Checked at source | 3 |
Saturday cancellations by 2:48pm ET
JetBlue lost the largest share of Saturday's schedule
The full national picture is on the flights section and the ground stop page.
How to ask Alaska for a refund, expenses and a written delay confirmation
A refund
- Open the booking under Trips on alaskaair.com and cancel for a refund to the original form of payment. The option shows when the flight was cancelled or moved more than 2 hours and you're still booked on it.
- Refund requests must be made within 1 year of the ticket's issue (Rule 17.G). The policy covers Alaska-issued tickets; a booking made elsewhere goes back to the seller.
Expenses
- Hotel and transport reimbursement for a disruption within Alaska's control goes through the general feedback form, which accepts receipts as images or PDF. Rule 8.E.c asks for a receipt.
For an air traffic control stop, Alaska's written terms don't cover these. Ask anyway if you want a written refusal for a card or insurance claim.
A written delay or cancellation confirmation
- Alaska has no page offering a delay letter for insurers. The nearest official route is the general feedback form with the reason Inquiry, and Alaska commits to answer written complaints within 60 days.
Card benefits and travel insurers usually want written proof of the delay and its cause. The FAA ground stop itself is on the public record on the timeline.
Have these ready:
- Confirmation code
- 13-digit ticket number (Alaska-issued tickets start 027)
- Flight number, route and date
- Names of travellers
- Receipts for hotel and ground transport (Rule 8.E.c asks for a receipt)
- Supporting files can be uploaded to the feedback form as images or PDF
Deadlines as read: Refund requests: within 1 year of the ticket's issue date (Rule 17.G; Rule 17.B.a.iv says 12 months). Under the ground stop policy, tickets must be changed or cancelled before the original flight departs. Domestic claims notice in Rule 15.R.b (the baggage rule): written notice and proof of loss within 45 days of the event, legal action within 2 years. No separate deadline for hotel or meal reimbursement requests was found.
These steps link only to Alaska's own pages. The claim tool drafts the letters for you to send yourself.
Card and travel cover may pay the hotel Alaska won't
When Alaska puts the cause outside its control, the hotel, meals and missed bookings fall to you. A card trip delay benefit or a travel policy bought before the event is the next place to look, and the wording on cause and waiting period decides it.
Most US card benefits start at 6 hours or an overnight stay, and some list only the carrier's own equipment failure. The 13 November stop ran 4 hours 21 minutes.
| Card or policy | Benefit | For an air traffic control stop | What the wording says | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Sapphire Reserve card | Trip delay | Depends | Cover starts after 6 hours or an overnight stay. Card wording does not mention ATC ground stops and experts disagree on whether an FAA failure is equipment failure. | 9 |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred card | Trip delay | Does not pay | A claim for a hotel after an air traffic control ground delay was denied. Listed hazards are equipment failure, weather, strikes and hijacking. | 11 |
| Capital One Venture X card | Trip delay | Depends | Cover starts after 6 hours. Card wording does not mention ATC ground stops. | 11 |
| American Express Platinum-tier Trip Delay Insurance | Trip delay | Does not pay | Up to US$500 a trip after more than 6 hours. The listed cause is carrier equipment failure, and Amex refused FAA-order delays in 2025. | 12 |
| American Express Embedded card benefits | Trip delay and cancellation | Does not pay | Amex said in November 2025 its card benefits would not cover cancellations or delays caused by the FAA's emergency order. Standalone policies might. | 11 |
| Citi Strata Elite and Strata Premier cards | Trip delay | Depends | Up to US$500 after more than 6 hours. Card wording not read. | 13 |
| AIG Travel Guard Preferred | Travel delay | Depends | Pays up to US$200 a day after a delay of more than 5 hours for a covered reason. The page read does not list the reasons. | 14 |
| Allianz OneTrip and AllTrips plans | Travel delay | Depends | Lists a travel carrier delay as a covered reason after 3 to 6 hours. Does not name air traffic control or the FAA. | 15 |
| Generali Global Assistance Standard, Preferred and Premium | Travel delay | Depends | Lists a common carrier delay as a covered reason after 10, 8 or 6 hours by plan. Up to US$1,000 per person. | 16 |
| Any insurer Policy bought after 13 Nov 2026 | All benefits | Does not pay | A policy bought after the event will not cover it or its knock-on disruption. | 17 |
Card by card detail is on the credit card trip delay insurance page, and 126 positions across 17 markets are in the insurance table. To start a claim, use the claim tool. This is general information about published wordings; it doesn't recommend any card or policy.
If Alaska refuses, complain in writing first, then to the US Department of Transportation
- Write to Alaska through its own contact or complaint page and keep a copy. US rules require the airline to acknowledge a written complaint within 30 days and send a substantive reply within 60 days (14 CFR 259.7). 20
- If the refund is refused or late, file a complaint with the US Department of Transportation's Office of Aviation Consumer Protection. It forwards complaints to the airline and uses them in enforcement. DOT complaint form 19 · DOT air travel complaints page 18
- For a card purchase, the card issuer's dispute process is another route when a refund owed under the rule doesn't arrive.
Alaska's phone lines, chat and rebooking pages, from its own site
Every number and channel below was read on Alaska's own pages on 15 November 2026. Fake airline support numbers circulate in search results, so call only numbers that match the airline's site. When phone queues run long, try the app, chat or text channel at the same time.
Call (US)
- Reservations (US and Canada): 1-800-252-7522 (1-800-ALASKAAIR) (24/7) 21
- Customer Care, post-flight questions and complaints: 1-800-654-5669 (7am to 7pm PT Mon to Fri; 8am to 5pm PT Sat) 21
- Atmos Rewards account: 1-833-902-8667 (7am to 7pm PT Mon to Fri; 8am to 5pm PT Sat) 21
- Accessible services: 1-800-503-0101 21
Social accounts
- X @AlaskaAir (the airline says it answers customers here) 22
- Facebook alaskaairlines 21
- Instagram @alaskaair 21
Rebook, refund and alerts
More of Alaska's own pages
- Flight statusalaskaair.com home page (flight status tool) on the airline's siteReported elsewhere, checked 15 November 2026
- ContactContact us on the airline's siteChecked at source, checked 15 November 2026
- Travel alertsTravel advisories on the airline's siteChecked at source, checked 15 November 2026
- Refund requestRefund page on the airline's siteChecked at source, checked 15 November 2026
- Contract of carriageContract of carriage on the airline's siteChecked at source, checked 15 November 2026
- Customer service planCustomer service plan or commitment on the airline's siteChecked at source, checked 15 November 2026
Questions people ask about Alaska cancellations
What happens if my Alaska flight is cancelled?
Alaska rebooks you on another flight or you can take a full refund of the fare, taxes and fees. Meals and a hotel come only when Alaska caused the cancellation.
Will Alaska refund my money if my flight is cancelled?
Yes, if you don't travel and don't accept a credit. US law (14 CFR Part 260) requires it whatever the cause, within 7 business days for a credit card and 20 calendar days for other payments.
Does Alaska compensate for cancelled flights?
US law sets no cash compensation for cancellations. Alaska gives a meal voucher at 3 hours, a hotel with transport for an overnight stay 100 or more miles from home, and on request a discount code of at least US$50. That applies only when Alaska caused the problem.
Does Alaska pay for a hotel when the FAA stops flights?
Alaska names air traffic control as an exception, so the 13 November stop sits outside its meal and hotel promises.
What is a Alaska travel waiver?
A notice that lets you change or cancel tickets for set dates without the usual fees. For the 13 November 2026 ground stop it covered travel 13 to 15 Nov, with the fare difference waived.
Were flights within Alaska and Hawaii affected?
Alaska said flights within Alaska and between the Hawaiian islands were not affected by the ground stop.
The same guide for other US airlines
American Airlines · Delta Air Lines · United Airlines · Southwest Airlines · JetBlue · all six compared
Sources
24 sources
- 14 CFR Part 260, eCFR (version 1 November 2026) Checked at source
- DOT enforcement notice, 7 July 2026 (renumbered flights) Checked at source
- Alaska Airlines newsroom Checked at source · methodology reference 54
- Alaska: written terms for causes within its control Checked at source
- Alaska: written terms for causes outside its control Checked at source
- Passrider and VisaVerge Reported elsewhere · methodology reference 58
- Alaska Airlines travel advisories Checked at source
- NBC News live blog Not confirmed · methodology reference 11
- Upgraded Points Checked at source · methodology reference 7
- FlightAware via Yahoo News live blog Checked at source · methodology reference 14
- Thrifty Traveler Checked at source · methodology reference 205
- American Express benefits guide Checked at source · methodology reference 136
- Your Mileage May Vary Reported elsewhere · methodology reference 218
- Travel Guard Checked at source · methodology reference 133
- Allianz Travel Insurance (US) Checked at source · methodology reference 115
- Generali Checked at source · methodology reference 213
- Upgraded Points Checked at source · methodology reference 206
- US DOT, Air Travel Complaints page (address from search listing) Reported elsewhere
- US DOT, Office of Aviation Consumer Protection complaint form Checked at source
- 14 CFR Part 259 (complaint responses, 259.7) Checked at source
- Alaska Airlines phone numbers Checked at source
- Alaska Airlines X account Checked at source
- Alaska Airlines change or rebook a trip page Checked at source
- Alaska Airlines request a refund page Reported elsewhere