There are few things more frustrating than needing to change travel plans last-minute because of a canceled flight. In addition to unavoidable issues like severe weather, staff shortages have also become a problem for airlines, which has left many flights grounded due to lack of a sufficient crew. According to the Air Line Pilots Association, while travel has returned to pre-COVID levels, they have been left with an estimated shortage of 12,000 pilots in 2022. While the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) requires airlines provide a full refund if you are forced to change your travel plans because your flight is canceled or, in some instances, significantly delayed, rules about passenger rights and how to acquire refunds can vary airline-to-airline. The DOT announced in a briefing on August 3, 2022, that they had proposed a rule which would strengthen protections for those seeking airline ticket refunds. The new rule, if adopted, would more clearly define the terms "significant change" and "cancellation," which had previously been left up to interpretation and created inconsistency in refund policies. They are also seeking to define the term "significant changes" for the first time as it applies to flights. "When Americans buy an airline ticket, they should get to their destination safely, reliably, and affordably," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in the brief. "This new proposed rule would protect the rights of travelers and help ensure they get the timely refunds they deserve from the airlines." The rule would also require vouchers or airline credits offered when passengers are unable to fly for things like government-mandated travel bans and closed borders to be indefinitely valid. In the slideshow above, we look at which U.S. airports had the most canceled flights in the first half of summer 2022, according to a FlightAware analysis for CNN.

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