Flight delays, cancellations and lost bags

Most visitors reach Palo Alto through San Francisco International (SFO) or San Jose Mineta International (SJC). Most of the time the flight is the easy part. When it is not, the rules on what you are owed depend on where you are flying, which airline you booked and why the flight went wrong.

This page sorts them out and ends with how to reach Palo Alto if you land late. For the regular airport routes, see our guides to getting here from SFO and from San Jose airport.

US refund rights: cancellations and big schedule changes

The Department of Transportation's refund rule, issued in April 2024, sets one standard for flights to, from and within the United States. Its refunds page lists the main cases:

• Cancellation. If the airline cancels your flight for any reason and you decline the alternative it offers, you are owed a refund. Weather does not change this.
• Significant change. On domestic itineraries that means departing 3 or more hours earlier or arriving 3 or more hours later than scheduled. On international itineraries the threshold is 6 hours. A different airport, extra connections or a downgrade to a lower cabin also count.
• Paid extras. Fees for seat selection, Wi-Fi or other services you paid for and did not get are refundable.

If you reject the new itinerary or do not respond, the DOT says the refund must be issued without you having to ask: within 7 business days for credit card purchases and 20 days for other payments, back to the original form of payment. A travel credit is only an option if you choose it. If you accept the rebooking and fly, you generally give up the refund.

Where the rule stands in late 2026

The rule is still on the books. In December 2025 DOT stopped enforcing it when an airline only renumbers a flight that then runs without a significant change. A Federal Register notice on July 7, 2026 extended that pause to July 7, 2027 while DOT drafts a rule that could redefine a cancelled flight. Refunds for real cancellations and big schedule changes are still enforced, but check the DOT page before you file.

What US airlines promise when a delay is their fault

Federal law does not require US airlines to pay cash for a delay. Instead, the DOT Airline Customer Service Dashboard tracks what large US airlines promise in their own customer service plans when the airline causes the problem, such as a crew shortage. Weather and air traffic control delays are not covered.

On the dashboard, last updated in December 2024, all nine listed airlines commit to rebooking at no extra cost and to a meal voucher when the wait is 3 hours or more. All but Frontier commit to a hotel and ground transportation for an overnight disruption. None commits to cash compensation. Alaska and Hawaiian offer travel credit and miles for long controllable delays, while JetBlue and Southwest offer credit. Ask the gate agent for these at the airport. They are harder to get weeks later.

Flights to or from Europe: EU261 and UK261

Flights to or from Europe often carry stronger rights. The EU's air passenger rights page explains Regulation 261/2004:

• Which flights. Any flight leaving an EU airport, on any airline. Flights arriving in the EU from outside, such as SFO to Paris, only when an EU airline operates them. Iceland, Norway and Switzerland are covered too.
• How much. Compensation is fixed by distance: 250 euros up to 1,500 km, 400 euros from 1,500 to 3,500 km and 600 euros beyond that. Every nonstop between SFO and Europe is in the top band. If you reach your final destination 3 to 4 hours late on such a flight, the amount is 300 euros. More than 4 hours late, it is 600 euros.
• When it is not owed. Extraordinary circumstances such as bad weather, air traffic control decisions or security risks. Most technical problems and strikes by the airline's own staff do not count as extraordinary.
• Cancellations. Compensation applies if you were told less than 14 days before departure, with some exceptions.
• Care. Meals, two calls or emails and a hotel if the delay runs overnight, whatever the cause. After 5 hours you can drop the trip and take a refund.

The EU adopted an update in July 2026 that enters into force 12 months and 20 days after publication in its Official Journal, so the current rules still apply in late 2026. Reports on the agreed text say it keeps the 3-hour threshold and the same amounts.

UK261

The UK government's passenger rights summary says they cover flights departing a UK airport on any airline and flights into the UK on a UK or EU airline. The Civil Aviation Authority lists £220 under 1,500 km, £350 from 1,500 to 3,500 km and, for longer flights such as London to San Francisco, £260 for an arrival 3 to 4 hours late or £520 for more than 4 hours. You claim from the airline first. It is not paid automatically.

Flights to or from Canada: APPR

Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations cover flights to, from and within Canada. The Canadian Transportation Agency's compensation page sets these amounts for arriving late at your final destination when the cause was within the airline's control and not required for safety:

Air Canada, WestJet, Porter, Air Transat, Sunwing and Flair count as large airlines. You have one year to file a written claim with the airline.

Claiming yourself or through a claim service

You can claim EU261, UK261 or APPR compensation directly from the airline for free. Most carriers have an online form. Keep your boarding passes and any messages about the delay. Note the time you actually reached the gate. If the airline refuses, each regulator has a complaint route.

Claim services handle the paperwork and any follow-up for you. In return they keep a share of the payout. You get nothing extra if the claim fails. That can make sense if you would rather not argue with a foreign airline. You can check a delayed flight with AirHelp or start an EU261 claim with Compensair. Read each company's fee terms before you sign. Do not file the same claim twice.

Stuck on the tarmac

The DOT tarmac delay rule applies at US airports to airlines flying planes with 30 or more seats. Airlines must let passengers off before 3 hours on domestic flights and 4 hours on international flights, unless safety, security or air traffic control prevents it. They must provide a snack and water within 2 hours, working toilets and status updates after 30 minutes. The rule does not protect you at a foreign airport, even on a flight to the US.

Lost, delayed and damaged bags

SFO notes that the airline, not the airport, is responsible for finding a missing bag. File a claim with your airline before you leave the terminal and get a reference number. Then follow the DOT's baggage guidance:

1. Buy what you need and keep receipts. Airlines must cover reasonable, verifiable costs while your bag is delayed and cannot set an arbitrary daily cap. Our travel gear guide lists local shops.
2. Ask for the bag fee back. A domestic bag is significantly delayed if it is not delivered within 12 hours of arrival. On international trips the threshold is 15 hours for flights of 12 hours or less and 30 hours for longer flights. With a report on file, the fee refund should be automatic.
3. Know the limits. On domestic trips airlines can be liable for up to $4,700 per passenger. International trips fall under the Montreal Convention limit of 1,519 Special Drawing Rights, about $2,175. Airlines usually declare a bag lost 5 to 14 days after the flight.
4. Mind the deadlines. The EU's passenger rights page says to complain in writing within 7 days for a damaged bag and within 21 days of receiving a delayed one.

Why SFO arrivals run late on cloudy days

SFO's two main landing runways sit only 750 feet apart. In clear weather, pilots can see each other and land side by side. When low clouds or fog roll in, they fly instrument approaches. The FAA requires far wider spacing for side-by-side landings, so arrivals drop to roughly half the clear-weather rate, as KQED has explained. The FAA then runs a ground delay program and holds SFO-bound flights at their departure airports.

2026 added another squeeze. In March the FAA stopped simultaneous landings on those parallel runways. Staggered landings resumed in August in clear weather only, which raised the clear-weather arrival rate from 36 to 42 an hour, still below the 54 SFO handled before, according to SFist's report on the FAA announcement. Pad connections through SFO and check your flight on the airline app before you leave. The FAA's National Airspace System status page shows when a ground delay program is in effect. San Jose, about 15 miles from Palo Alto, is worth comparing too.

Landing late: getting to Palo Alto anyway

A delay that pushes you past midnight changes your ride into town:

• Train. From SFO the route is BART to Millbrae, then Caltrain. Neither runs all night. In early November 2026 the last weekday southbound Caltrain left San Francisco at 12:05 a.m. Check the last connection on the Caltrain timetable before you count on it.
• Overnight bus. SamTrans Route 397 runs overnight and stops at SFO on its way to the Palo Alto Transit Center. It is slow, but it runs when the trains do not.
• Rideshare or taxi. Pickups at SFO's domestic terminals are on Level 5 of the Domestic Garage. Our page on rideshare and robotaxis covers the options. If you know you will land late, you can prebook a driver and give your flight number when you book.
• From San Jose. The free VTA Route 60 links SJC with Caltrain at Santa Clara during service hours. After that, take a rideshare or taxi for the 15 miles to Palo Alto.

Frequently asked questions