Skip to main content
PalapaVibez

Legal Center

Policies, plain and complete

Every promise we make and every limit on what we’ll be responsible for, written out in one place. Use the menu below to jump straight to what you need.

Travel

Flight Passenger Rights

Effective May 28, 2026

In plain language

When you book a flight through PalapaVibez, the operating airline is responsible for the flight itself — tarmac delays, denied boarding, baggage, in-flight service. We're responsible for the booking and the service fee you paid us. This page explains the line between the two so you know who to call when something goes wrong.

PalapaVibez LLC is an independent online travel agency. When you book a flight through us, you are entering into a contract of carriage directly with the operating airline. The airline is responsible for the flight; we are responsible for the booking transaction and any service fee you paid us. This page summarises the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) consumer-protection rules that apply to your trip.

1. PalapaVibez vs. the operating airline

We sell the seat, collect payment, deliver the e-ticket, and act as your point of contact for booking changes that don’t require an airline override. The operating airline is responsible for everything that happens at the airport and in the air — check-in, boarding, meals, delays, lost or damaged baggage, in-flight service, and emergency assistance. Compensation owed by the airline (e.g., tarmac-delay services, denied-boarding payments) is the airline’s responsibility, not ours.

2. Tarmac delays

Under DOT’s tarmac-delay rule (14 CFR § 259.4), U.S. airlines must give passengers the opportunity to deplane:

  • Domestic flights: within 3 hours of tarmac delay.
  • International flights: within 4 hours of tarmac delay.

The operating airline is also required to provide food, water, working lavatories, and medical assistance if available during a tarmac delay. PalapaVibez does not provide these services and does not provide compensation for tarmac-delay inconveniences — that is the airline’s legal obligation. Foreign carriers operating into or out of the U.S. are subject to similar rules.

3. Denied boarding (overbooking)

U.S. airlines may sell more tickets than seats on a flight. If you are involuntarily denied boarding on an oversold flight, DOT rules (14 CFR § 250) require the airline to pay compensation based on how long the delay to your destination is, with payments ranging up to 4x your one-way fare (capped at $1,550) for delays beyond two hours on domestic flights or beyond four hours on international flights. Voluntary denied-boarding compensation is negotiated between you and the airline at the gate.

Denied-boarding compensation is paid by the operating airline. PalapaVibez does not have authority to pay denied-boarding compensation on the airline’s behalf.

4. Baggage policies vary by airline

Every airline has its own baggage policy — checked-bag fees, carry-on size limits, oversized-baggage rules, sports equipment surcharges. Where possible we surface the operating airline’s policy in your itinerary email, but the policy that applies to your bag is the one in effect at the airport on the day you fly. Always confirm at the airline’s website before packing.

If your checked baggage is lost or damaged, file a property irregularity report (PIR) with the operating airline at the airport before leaving the baggage claim area. The airline — not PalapaVibez — is liable under the Montreal or Warsaw Convention (or U.S. domestic rules) for the loss or damage.

5. Lithium batteries & prohibited items

Spare lithium batteries are prohibited in checked baggage by U.S. FAA and international IATA rules. They must travel in your carry-on. Devices containing lithium batteries (laptops, phones, cameras) may be checked but must be powered off and protected from accidental activation.

Other items commonly prohibited in checked baggage include flammable liquids, compressed gases, fireworks, and most aerosols. Carrying prohibited items can result in denial of boarding, civil penalties from TSA (up to $13,910 per violation), or criminal charges. Check the FAA’s PackSafe guide and your airline’s dangerous-goods page before packing.

6. Schedule changes & cancellations

Airlines change schedules constantly — equipment swaps, weather, crew availability, route adjustments. When we receive a schedule-change notification from the airline, we email you within 24 hours of confirmation. Significant changes (typically a 1+ hour shift in departure or a routing change) trigger your right to:

  • Accept the new schedule.
  • Request a rebooking on the same airline at no fare difference.
  • Request a full refund of the ticket to your original payment method, if the airline’s fare rules entitle you to one.

For involuntary refunds where the airline has cancelled or significantly delayed your flight, DOT rules (14 CFR § 259.5) require U.S. airlines and foreign airlines flying to or from the U.S. to refund the ticket value. We process these refunds through Stripe using the same fee structure and currency conversion that applied at the time of booking (see our cancellation policy).

7. Refunds & service fees

When a flight is refunded — voluntarily under the airline’s fare rules or involuntarily due to a cancellation or significant schedule change — we refund the ticket portion to your original payment method through Stripe, using the booking-time exchange rate locked at purchase. We retain our service fee on voluntary cancellations (clearly broken out at checkout). On involuntary cancellations, we refund the full amount including service fee if the airline refunds us in full.

Refunds typically clear in 5–10 business days depending on your card issuer.

8. Filing a complaint

If you have a complaint about your flight (delays, denied boarding, baggage, discrimination, in-flight service), file with the operating airline first. If unresolved after 30 days, you can escalate to the DOT’s Aviation Consumer Protection division at transportation.gov/airconsumer.

If your complaint is about the booking transaction or our service fee, email [email protected]with your booking reference and we’ll respond within two business days.