Silver Airways abruptly cancels Orlando flights: What to know if you're affected

Travelers ran into confusion and disruptions in Florida in recent days. Over the weekend, regional airline Silver Airways abruptly canceled flights out of Orlando, citing issues retaining its leased planes months after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The Florida-based carrier, which flies throughout Florida and the Caribbean, suddenly canceled all flights out of Orlando International Airport (MCO) beginning on Saturday, a spokesperson for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority confirmed to TPG.

"We received notification Saturday afternoon that, effective immediately, all departing and arriving flights with Silver Airways are canceled," Angela Starke, MCO's senior vice president of public affairs, said in a statement.

By Monday, data from flight tracker FlightAware showed nearly two dozen previously scheduled Silver Airways flights had been canceled out of the Orlando airport.

Across Silver's network, Monday's cancellations amounted to around 9% of all scheduled departures, per FlightAware.

Why are Silver Airways flights being canceled?

A spokesperson for Silver, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December, told TPG that despite its restructuring "going exceedingly well," it ran into issues with its aircraft leased by a third-party company overseas.

The company, Silver said, "abruptly reversed its previously stated position and immediately required Silver to pay millions of dollars to retain the airplanes we have been flying for years," the spokesperson told TPG — and ordered the immediate grounding of the leased aircraft.

"We are working with our customers to rebook itineraries and minimize inconvenience for travelers," Silver said in a statement, noting it "regrets and apologizes for the last-minute cancelations of flights from Orlando International Airport."

The carrier was "diligently working to resolve traveler interruptions and issuing immediate refunds requested by the customer" through its call center.

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TrueNoord, the Amsterdam-based leasing company, declined to comment.

Bankruptcy filing in December

When the airline filed for bankruptcy in December, it said it hoped to secure new capital and restructure its debt and promised all tickets would "remain valid, and we will continue operating as usual."

Additionally, Silver pledged existing bookings made through partners JetBlue and United Airlines would "experience no disruptions to their bookings or services."

Oftentimes, airlines can continue with normal operations amid Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization; such was the case for Spirit Airlines following its own filing in November (the company hopes to emerge from bankruptcy later this month).

But it appears Silver has now run into a snag in its plans.

What to do if your Silver Airways flight is canceled

U.S. Department of Transportation rules require airlines to refund passengers for canceled flights, regardless of the reason for the cancellation, if a passenger then cannot or chooses to not travel. That includes flights purchased through a ticket agent or online travel agency.

However, bankruptcy filings create "sort of a travel gray area" that may make getting a refund more complicated, Katy Nastro, a travel expert at flight subscription service Going, told TPG.

What is the first step after a canceled flight?

First things first: Travelers need to figure out how to get to their destination.

To do this, passengers can call the airline — in this case, Silver Airways — and try requesting either a refund or an alternative flight if one is available. Silver told TPG it was working to rebook passengers and issue "immediate refunds requested" through its call center.

Read more: Flight canceled or delayed? Here's what to do next

Nastro said if customers can't get rebooked through Silver, they can try to find "rescue fares" on other airlines, which are discounts other carriers may offer to help.

"We saw this happen when WOW Air went out of business ... other airlines might come in and save the day," she said, adding, "It's not super common, but it has happened before."

And time is of the essence.

"You just want to make sure you can get where you need to go," Nastro said. "The quicker you are, the higher likelihood you're going to get a seat."

How to get a refund

The next step is getting your money back if you choose not to travel.

Ordinarily, DOT policy would require the airline to issue a prompt cash refund in the event of a cancellation.

Credit card chargeback

But if Silver is unable to provide a refund for some reason, Nastro said your next stop should be your credit card company.

You'll want to request a chargeback (or a reversal of payment for services not received). While there's no guarantee your issuer will reverse the charge, it's an option worth exploring.

"Your credit card is going to be the best bet at the end of the day, because there's no disputing this service was not rendered," Nastro said.

Don't delay, though: The Truth in Lending Act requires banks to remove a charge when a supplier fails to deliver a product or service — but it only covers the credit card holder for 60 days after the original charge was made.

What about travel insurance?

Trip insurance can be tricky because policies vary. However, trip insurance is probably your best option for getting refunds for ancillary costs like extra hotel nights or unforeseen nonrefundable expenses.

This applies to both traditional travel insurance policies and trip insurance protections offered as part of a travel credit card.

"We always say, 'Ask, but expect the worst,'" Nastro said.

Filing a complaint with the DOT

If all else fails, Nastro said your final option is to file a complaint with the DOT, which can be done via an online form.

"The very last step in this headache of a navigation process would be filing a complaint with the DOT, and maybe down the road you would see some money from that," she said.

Related reading:

• The best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare
• Best airline credit cards
• What exactly are airline miles, anyway?
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights