The FLIGHT Act mandates that major airlines must notify passengers via email or text message about domestic or international flight delays of 15 minutes or more, providing updated departure and arrival times every 15 minutes until the delay ends.
Laurel Lee
Representative
FL-15
The FLIGHT Act mandates that major airlines promptly notify passengers via email or text message when a domestic or international flight faces a departure or taxi delay of 15 minutes or more. Airlines must provide updates every 15 minutes, including the new estimated departure and arrival times. This new federal requirement ensures travelers are kept informed about significant flight delays.
FLIGHT Act Mandates Text/Email Updates Every 15 Minutes for Delays Over 15 Minutes
The Frequent Logistics Information for Grounded and Held Travelers Act—or the FLIGHT Act—is focused on one thing: making sure you’re not left hanging when your flight gets delayed. This bill aims to bring some much-needed transparency and communication to the chaos of air travel.
Your New Delay Notification Rights
Section 2 of the FLIGHT Act adds a new requirement to federal law (Chapter 423 of title 49, U.S. Code) that kicks in the moment a major airline’s domestic or international flight is delayed by 15 minutes or more. Think of it as a hard deadline for communication. If your flight hits that 15-minute delay mark, the airline must immediately notify every passenger about the disruption.
This isn’t just a one-time announcement over a crackly gate speaker. The bill requires airlines to send updates via email or text message to each passenger. These messages must include two critical pieces of information: the new estimated departure time and the new estimated arrival time. This is huge for anyone who has ever tried to coordinate a pickup or a connecting flight while stuck at the gate.
The 15-Minute Rule: Constant Updates
The most aggressive part of this rule is the continuous update requirement. Once the delay starts, the airline must provide an update at least once every 15 minutes until the delay is resolved. For the frequent traveler, this is a game changer. No more waiting an hour for the gate agent to reappear or refreshing an app that hasn't been updated since breakfast. If you are waiting on the tarmac, or stuck in a holding pattern, you should be getting a text message every quarter-hour with the latest intel.
This level of mandated communication puts a significant operational burden on major airlines, forcing them to standardize and automate their delay communications. However, the bill does give passengers an out: every text or email must include a way for you to quickly opt out of receiving further delay notifications for that specific flight. If you’re trying to nap or just don't want your phone buzzing every 15 minutes during a long delay, you have the right to silence those updates.