Independent site. It has no affiliation with United Airlines and does not speak for it. Bookings, flight status and contact are on the airline's own site.
If United cancels your flight, you're owed a refund. Hotels and meals depend on the cause
If United 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. United's own pages couldn't be read. If its contract treats government action as force majeure, as secondary sources report, the 13 November stop sits outside its hotel and meal commitments.
This page sets out United'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.
United 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 United's own commitments, below.
United's written commitments could not be confirmed on its own site
United's research record is marked unverified. Every United policy page timed out when this guide was researched, so its commitments here come from a 2022 DOT table and secondary reports. Blanks are left blank.
When United caused it (crew, mechanical, its own systems)
Not read on a United page. A DOT table dated 31 August 2022 records United committing to a meal or meal voucher after a 3 hour wait, a hotel and hotel transport for cancellations and delays within its control.
Secondary guides describe the same commitment as current. United's own wording couldn't be checked.
Not confirmed. United's customer commitment page could not be read. 6
When something outside United caused it (weather, air traffic control, government orders)
Not confirmed. Secondary sources say Rule 24 of United's contract defines force majeure broadly, including government regulation, and that United provides no hotel when the cause is outside its control.
The clause wording and number couldn't be checked on united.com, so this page leaves them blank.
Reported as Rule 24 of the contract of carriage. Not confirmed.
United's own pages couldn't be read. If its contract treats government action as force majeure, as secondary sources report, the 13 November stop sits outside its hotel and meal commitments.
Check what United owes you for your own flight
Pick what happened. The answer combines the US refund rule with United's written commitments as read on 15 November 2026.
United's waiver terms come mostly from news reports
A travel waiver lets you change or cancel a ticket for set dates without the usual fees. This log records each version of United'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 | United newsroom statement | A travel waiver let customers change their plans over the weekend of 13 to 15 November. The statement linked to the travel alerts page and didn't mention refunds, hotels or meals. | Checked at source | 7 7 |
| 13 to 14 Nov 2026 | News reports (unconfirmed on united.com) | Travel 13 to 15 November. New flight departing 12 to 20 November in the same cabin between the same cities, with change fees and fare differences waived; a fare difference may apply for other cities or later dates. Full refund if you cancel or don't travel.United's travel alerts page timed out, so these terms haven't been read on United's site. | Reported elsewhere | 8 9 9 9 |
Summary for 13 November as held in the site data: waiver Yes; travel 13 to 15 Nov; rebook New flight departing 12 to 20 Nov; fare difference Waived; refund Yes; hotels and meals Not mentioned. Compare every airline at the airline responses table.
United cancelled 733 flights on Saturday by mid-afternoon
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 | United: Friday evening statement | Said it was cancelling a significant number of Friday evening flights | Checked at source | 7 |
| 13 Nov 2026 | United: reason given for early cancellations | Said cancelling early would help position crews and aircraft for when the FAA allowed flights to resume | Checked at source | 7 |
| 13 Nov 2026 | United: Friday night plan | Cancel most remaining flights for the night | Checked at source | 10 |
| 14 Nov 2026 | United: Saturday morning statement | Said most weekend flights were operating normally while it restored its schedule | Checked at source | 7 |
| 14 Nov 2026 | United: Saturday cancellations at about 9:40am ET | 530 | Checked at source | 11 |
| 14 Nov 2026 | United: share of Saturday schedule cancelled, morning | 17% | Checked at source | 4 |
| 14 Nov 2026 | United: Saturday cancellations at 2:48pm ET | 733 | Checked at source | 3 |
| 14 Nov 2026 | United: crew incentive | Extra pay for pilots and flight attendants to pick up flights through Sunday | Checked at source | 12 |
| 14 Nov 2026 | United: Sunday flights cancelled in advance, as at 4:35pm ET Saturday | 48 | Checked at source | 5 |
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 United for a refund, expenses and a written delay confirmation
A refund
- No United refund page could be read, so this guide doesn't set out United's own steps.
- The US refund rule applies to United all the same: if United cancelled and you didn't travel or accept a credit, the fare, taxes and fees are owed back to your original payment.
Expenses
- No United expense or reimbursement page could be read. Keep receipts and ask United in writing through the contact options on united.com.
For an air traffic control stop, United'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
- No official United route for a delay or cancellation letter could be read.
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.
These steps link only to United's own pages. The claim tool drafts the letters for you to send yourself.
Card and travel cover may pay the hotel United won't
When United 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. | 4 |
| 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. | 13 |
| Capital One Venture X card | Trip delay | Depends | Cover starts after 6 hours. Card wording does not mention ATC ground stops. | 13 |
| 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. | 14 |
| 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. | 13 |
| Citi Strata Elite and Strata Premier cards | Trip delay | Depends | Up to US$500 after more than 6 hours. Card wording not read. | 15 |
| 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. | 16 |
| 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. | 17 |
| 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. | 18 |
| 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. | 19 |
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 United refuses, complain in writing first, then to the US Department of Transportation
- Write to United 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). 22
- 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 21 · DOT air travel complaints page 20
- For a card purchase, the card issuer's dispute process is another route when a refund owed under the rule doesn't arrive.
United's phone lines, chat and rebooking pages, from its own site
Every number and channel below was read on United'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, English: 1-800-864-8331 (24 hours daily) 23
- Reservations, Spanish: 1-800-426-5561 (24 hours daily) 23
- Baggage Recovery Center: 1-800-335-2247 23
- MileagePlus Service Center: 1-800-421-4655 (7:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. daily, Central time) 23
Chat and text
Social accounts
- X @united (the airline says it answers customers here) 25
- Facebook United 24
- Instagram @united 24
Rebook, refund and alerts
More of United's own pages
- Flight statusFlight status on the airline's siteReported elsewhere, checked 15 November 2026
- Contactunited.com home page (contact link in the page footer) on the airline's siteNot confirmed, checked 15 November 2026
- Travel alertsTravel alerts on the airline's siteNot confirmed, checked 15 November 2026
- Contract of carriageContract of carriage on the airline's siteNot confirmed, checked 15 November 2026
- Customer service planCustomer service plan or commitment on the airline's siteNot confirmed, checked 15 November 2026
Questions people ask about United cancellations
What happens if my United flight is cancelled?
United 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 United caused the cancellation.
Will United 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 United compensate for cancelled flights?
US law sets no cash compensation for cancellations. A 2022 DOT table records United committing to a meal after 3 hours and a hotel with transport. United's current wording couldn't be confirmed. That applies only when United caused the problem.
Does United pay for a hotel when the FAA stops flights?
United's own pages couldn't be read. If its contract treats government action as force majeure, as secondary sources report, the 13 November stop sits outside its hotel and meal commitments.
What is a United 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.
Why did United cancel flights early on Friday night?
United said cancelling early would help position crews and aircraft for when the FAA let flights resume.
The same guide for other US airlines
American Airlines · Delta Air Lines · Southwest Airlines · JetBlue · Alaska Airlines · all six compared
Sources
28 sources
- 14 CFR Part 260, eCFR (version 1 November 2026) Checked at source
- DOT enforcement notice, 7 July 2026 (renumbered flights) Checked at source
- FlightAware via Yahoo News live blog Checked at source · methodology reference 14
- Upgraded Points Checked at source · methodology reference 7
- The Points Guy citing FlightAware Checked at source · methodology reference 10
- United: written terms for causes within its control Reported elsewhere
- United newsroom Checked at source · methodology reference 53
- Newsweek Reported elsewhere · methodology reference 345
- FOX 9 Reported elsewhere · methodology reference 346
- ABC7 San Francisco Checked at source · methodology reference 347
- CBS News citing FlightAware Checked at source · methodology reference 38
- CNBC Checked at source · methodology reference 12
- 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
- United Airlines phone numbers Checked at source
- United Airlines text message Checked at source
- United Airlines X account Checked at source
- United Airlines change or rebook a trip page Checked at source
- United Airlines request a refund page Checked at source
- United Airlines travel alerts and waivers page Checked at source