Nightmare flights and no vouchers: These disruptions now deemed out of airline's control

A new federal rule starting Oct. 19 classifies 10 types of air-travel disruptions as being out of the airline’s control. That means carriers generally won’t have to provide compensation they promised for controllable events, such as hotel and meal vouchers, even if passengers are affected. The list includes delays linked to an unruly passenger, aircraft cleaning required after a death, emergencies needing medical attention with no fault of the airline, and damage tied to extreme weather, debris, or sabotage. Other categories cover airport closures from volcanic ash or wind conditions, certain cybersecurity attacks, government system shutdowns, baggage-system outages, and overheated brakes after emergency procedures.