As Thanksgiving week approaches, known for record-breaking airline travel, rough weather is expected in various parts of the country, potentially causing travel delays. The Midwest and Great Lakes regions are forecasted to receive snow early in the week, while the East Coast faces weather concerns on Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

For the first time this holiday travel season, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s new rule requiring airlines to give automatic refunds for significant flight disruptions is in effect. Since late October, airlines have been mandated to provide refunds in the original form of payment within 20 days or less.

Passengers are eligible for automatic refunds if they choose not to fly on a rebooked flight and do not accept flight vouchers or miles as alternative compensation. Additionally, baggage fees can be refunded if luggage is not delivered within 12 hours of a domestic flight arrival or 30 hours of an international flight arrival.

The rule also standardizes the definition of a “significant” delay across all airlines, defined by the D.O.T. as a delay of 3 hours for domestic flights and 6 hours for international flights.

Under this new regulation, airlines must provide full refunds of the ticket purchase price, minus the value of any portion of transportation already used. These refunds must include all government-imposed taxes and fees, as well as airline-imposed fees.

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(Image credit: Tampa International Airport)