‘Somebody hit us’: Planes collide in Miami a day after FAA ground stop froze US flights. Airlines may owe you nothing for hotels — who pays instead?

“Somebody hit us,” the Copa Airlines pilot said on air traffic control audio. The UPS pilot then got on the radio saying, “yeah, we went too far, and then he, he clipped us with the wing.”

The two injured people were treated at the scene, but the FAA is still investigating the matter. Officials have not tied the collision to Friday’s outage.

U.S. travelers are still reeling from the FAA’s nationwide ground stop issued Friday afternoon, after multiple Air Route Traffic Control Centers, the facilities that guide jets between airports, reported major communication issues.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said overloaded routers started feeding out inconsistent data, so officials shut the system down. FlightAware counted about 9,200 cancellations Friday and more than 5,000 Saturday, according to CBS News.

It was the first nationwide ground stop since January 2023, when FAA contractors accidentally deleted files in the system that sends pilots safety alerts, and only the second nationwide ground stop since 9/11.

You might be reading this as one of those affected by the thousands of cancellations over the weekend. If so, and your flight got canceled, federal rules say you’re owed a refund if you choose not to travel, regardless of the reason. The hotel room you booked while you waited, though, is a different story.

Why airlines don’t owe you a hotel after an FAA ground stop

There’s no federal rule requiring airlines to cover your hotel, meals, or other out-of-pocket expenses when your flight gets canceled. The Department of Transportation, on its refunds page, says travelers who pay for a hotel, rental car, or meal because of a canceled or badly delayed flight aren’t entitled to get those incidental costs back.

The meal and hotel help most people think of as passenger rights are actually voluntary airline pledges, tracked on DOT’s Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard. Most big U.S. carriers promise a free room and a ride to it after an overnight cancellation — but only when the cancellation is “controllable.” DOT defines that as a disruption the airline caused, such as maintenance or crew problems, cabin cleaning, baggage loading or fueling.

Air traffic control falls into a different bucket. When airlines report why flights run late, federal rules file ATC trouble under the “National Aviation System” delays, the same category that also covers stuff like heavy traffic and non-extreme weather. Delayed caused by the airline ate tracked separately. The Nov. 13 outage was the government’s problem, so the hotel pledges don’t kick in.

Airlines are about to see the scales tilt even more in their favor. Under a rule required by Congress in the 2024 FAA reauthorization, the DOT will stop counting 10 types of disruptions as the airline’s fault starting Feb. 1, 2027. The list includes unexpected failures of government systems and unscheduled maintenance, and the department expects airlines to hand out fewer meals and hotel rooms as a result.

What carriers did offer to customers, though, was flexibility. United, Delta, American, Southwest and several others posted fee-free rebooking waivers with set travel windows. Anything more is at the airline’s discretion, so it’s worth asking an agent before you book a room yourself.

Will your credit card or travel insurance pay for the hotel?

Premium travel cards are the usual backstop, and on paper they’re generous. The Chase Sapphire Reserve reimburses meals and lodging up to $500 per covered traveler when a trip is delayed more than six hours or requires an overnight stay. The Platinum Card from American Express pays up to $500 per trip for delays over six hours, capped at two claims per card every 12 months.

The fine print turns on why you were delayed. Amex’s coverage lists bad weather, terrorism or hijacking, lost passports and “a Common Carrier’s equipment failure” — meaning the airline’s gear, as documented by the airline. Chase’s list is similar: equipment failure, weather, strikes and hijacking. Neither names air traffic control. Amex’s policy is also secondary coverage, meaning it pays only after anything the airline or another insurer covers.

That gap has bitten travelers before. During the government shutdown in fall 2025, Chase’s benefits administrator Virginia Surety denied a reader’s claim to Thrifty Traveler because air traffic control isn’t a covered hazard, and Amex told the outlet its built-in card insurance wouldn’t cover delays from the FAA’s emergency flight cuts. Thrifty Traveler said claim reviewers tend to stick to the benefits guide’s strict definitions, so gray-area cases often end in denial. A written statement from the airline on the cause of your delay is usually required. If your claim is denied anyway, there are still steps you can take to appeal it.