Originally Posted by
wingedwhale
Does this apply when only one leg of the flight is international?
Itineraries that include international segments often get more leeway, sometimes documented by official airline policy (e.g. United for Premier members), but never assume you're going to get reimbursed.
What happens when you go to a flight, and it's cancelled/delayed and you just take the refund and book a different airline the next day? I assume in that instance, it's not eligible? Not even the uber ride back home? Or is it again just a try and see situation.
Everything is case-by-case; if your request passes the smell test, there's a good chance of it getting covered.
Can you ever ask the airline itself to put you on another flight on another airline?
Sure, you are free to ask for anything your heart desires. As such, it's often a good idea to prepare a list of desirable alternatives when seeking reaccommodation. Chances are, you'll find something that evaded the (overworked) airline person who is tasked with helping you.
I guess the voucher is a guaranteed payout though whereas requesting isn't? Unless it's the case that when an airline gives vouchers, they also honor hotel refund requests.
In theory, you're correct, but in situations when many flights are delayed at the same time, hotel inventory tends to get sucked up quickly, meaning those who wait around for vouchers are unable to use them. If you sense this might be the case, taking matters into your own hands is prudent. A potential snag with self booking, though, is that you'll end up paying far more than the airline's contracted rates at its voucher hotels (e.g. $150 v $60), so there might be some reluctance to make you whole. As I suggested in my other post above, this is something I'm willing to accept (i.e. possibly being out $100 is preferable to sleeping in an airport terminal).