An FAA nationwide ground stop on Friday, November 13, froze every departure from US airports, and travelers now face a scramble for the next open seat. Before you pay anything to rebook flight after ground stop delays, know what the airline already owes you, because the cheapest fix is usually the one that costs nothing. This checklist puts the free options first and the paid ones last.
Where it stands: The order went out at 3:54 p.m. ET, and nothing official had ended it when this was written, shortly after 5 p.m. ET Friday. The advisory’s planning window stretched to 11:30 p.m. ET; USA Today warned that “The listed expiration time does not guarantee that flights will resume by then.” Clash Report found no stated cause or restart time from federal officials.
Check for a waiver before you touch your booking
A travel waiver lets you move a flight without a change fee and, often, without paying a higher fare. It is the single biggest money saver in a disruption, and it is worth checking before anything else.
As of early Friday evening, there was no waiver tied to the national stop. Latin Times reported that “rebooking waivers and rescheduling policies had not been formally announced at the time of publication,” and our own search when this was written found no airline notice for this event. Airlines often post waivers hours after a disruption begins, so check your airline’s travel advisory page again tonight and tomorrow morning.
One waiver already exists for a different reason. Delta was offering flexible rebooking “for flights on November 12 and November 13” at Newark, White Plains, JFK, LaGuardia and Boston after Northeast storms, according to TheTravel. That waiver was issued for weather, not the FAA outage, but if your Friday Delta flight touched one of those airports, its terms may apply to you anyway. TheTravel reports that “a new flight must be booked on or before November 16, 2026.”
| Your situation | Cheapest move |
|---|---|
| Waiver covers your flight | Rebook free in the app |
| Airline cancels your flight | Free rebooking or a full refund |
| Flight badly delayed (3h domestic, 6h international) | Accept new time or take a refund |
| Flight still scheduled, no waiver | Wait; do not cancel yourself |
Do not cancel first
The worst money move in a ground stop is cancelling a flight the airline has not cancelled yet. A ground stop holds planes on the ground; USA Today noted that it “does not necessarily mean all flights have been canceled.” Your strongest rights start when the airline itself cancels or significantly changes the trip.
Under the Department of Transportation’s refund rule in 14 CFR Part 260, a trip qualifies as significantly delayed once the new arrival time lands at least three hours behind schedule for domestic travel, or at least six hours behind for international itineraries. When that happens, or the flight is cancelled outright, saying no to the replacement option means the airline owes you your money back. Cancel on your own a few hours earlier and you may be left with only what your fare allows, which on many basic tickets is a credit at best.
The cause does not matter for this right. The DOT has said its policy on refunds for cancellations “applies irrespective of the reason for a cancellation,” and the 2024 final rule extends it to non-refundable tickets.
Rebook flight after ground stop: the order that saves money
- Use the app or website first. When flights are cancelled, airlines usually push rebooking options to the app before phone lines and counters clear. Screenshot each offer.
- Ask for specific flights. If the automatic rebooking puts you on a flight days away, search the airline’s own schedule for something earlier and ask for it. A rebooking you request on a cancelled flight should not carry a fare difference.
- Consider nearby airports. In metro areas with several airports, an earlier seat from a second airport may be available on the same airline. Ask the agent to move you there rather than buying a separate ticket.
- Keep connections on one ticket. Rebooking within your original reservation keeps the airline responsible for the whole trip if something else slips.
- Get every change in writing. A confirmation email with the new times protects you if the next leg is disrupted too.
Expect the recovery to take time. Latin Times wrote that airline schedules “face widespread cascading cancellations expected to extend well into the weekend,” because crews and aircraft end up in the wrong places. That makes an early, confirmed seat worth more than waiting for a better one.
When taking the refund is the smarter move
Sometimes the best rebooking is none. If the earliest seat your airline can offer is several days out, or the trip no longer makes sense, a refund puts the money back in your hands. Part 260 says it “must be issued promptly in the original form of payment,” within 7 business days when you paid by card, with a longer window for cash and other methods. Part 260 also says the airline cannot swap that refund for a voucher unless you agree to it.
The trade-off is price. Once you take the refund, a new ticket is bought at today’s fares, and last-minute seats after a mass disruption are rarely cheap. If you go that route, our guide to booking last-minute flights for less covers the tactics. Compare the new fare against the refund before you commit, and secure the refund on the old ticket first.
Costs you can recover later
Whether your airline pays for meals or a hotel during an outage it did not cause depends on its own customer service plan, so plan on fronting those costs. Keep itemized receipts for food, hotels and ground transport. A card with trip delay coverage may repay some of it, depending on its terms; our explainer on credit card travel insurance you may already have explains where to look. For the wider rules on airline payouts, see how to get compensated when your flight is delayed or canceled.
In a 4:24 p.m. ET message, American Airlines said the FAA was “working to resolve a technical issue affecting telecommunications at many air traffic control facilities across the country.” Until the FAA announces a restart, the order holds every scheduled departure in place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I rebook my flight for free after the FAA ground stop?
Not automatically. By early Friday evening, no airline had announced a fee waiver tied to the nationwide stop. If the airline cancels your flight or changes it significantly, it must rebook you or refund you, and Delta already had a weather waiver covering November 12 and 13 flights at five Northeast airports.
Should I cancel my flight myself during the ground stop?
Usually not. The US refund rule applies when the airline cancels or significantly delays your flight and you turn down the alternative. If you cancel first, you may be left with only what your fare rules allow, which on many cheap tickets is a credit.
Is a refund owed when the FAA, not the airline, caused the cancellation?
Yes. In its 2024 rulemaking the DOT said its refund policy for cancellations applies irrespective of the reason, and the refund is owed even on non-refundable tickets if you decline the rebooking.
How fast must the airline pay back a cancelled ticket?
Part 260 sets 7 business days from your request for credit card purchases and 20 calendar days when you paid some other way. The money returns to the card or account you paid with.
Is it cheaper to rebook with my airline or buy a new ticket?
Rebooking with your airline usually costs nothing extra when it cancels or significantly changes your flight. Buying a new ticket elsewhere only makes sense if you first secure the refund on the old one and the new fare is worth paying to arrive sooner.
Sources
- FAA Nationwide Ground Stop Blamed on Air Traffic Control Comms Issue — Clash Report, November 13, 2026
- Ground stop live updates: FAA orders flights to remain grounded nationwide — USA Today (via Yahoo News), November 13, 2026
- FAA freezes US departures nationwide after communications failure — Latin Times, November 13, 2026
- Delta Air Lines cancels the most flights; flexible rebooking waiver issued for 5 Northeast airports — TheTravel, November 13, 2026
- 14 CFR Part 260: Refunds for Airline Fare and Ancillary Service Fees — Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (U.S. Department of Transportation rule), current text
- Refunds and Other Consumer Protections (final rule) — U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Register, April 26, 2024
This article is general travel and consumer information, not legal advice. Passenger rights depend on where your flight departs, which airline operates it and that airline’s contract of carriage; check your airline and the regulator named above. Save Money Quick reports what the sources listed above said on the dates shown, and facts in a developing story can change.
