Until June 30, 2026, the Transportation Department will not require refunds if the only change is a new flight number and your schedule stays the same.
You still get a refund if the change is big: 3+ hours earlier or later in the U.S., 6+ hours on international trips, different airports, more stops, or a downgrade.
Travelers with disabilities keep protections, including if a new route adds different connections or needed accessibility features are missing.
Airlines should rebook you under the new flight number when time and route do not change, so you should not need to do anything.
This is a temporary pause while the government rethinks what counts as a canceled flight, and other passenger rights still apply.
Consumer ProtectionTransportation
Impact Analysis
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