Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
New Air Travel Rules Would Compensate Flyers for Cancellations, Delays
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 11 months ago on
May 8, 2023

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Biden administration is working on new regulations that would require airlines to compensate passengers and cover their meals and hotel rooms if they are stranded for reasons within the airline’s control.

The White House said President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg would announce the start of the rulemaking process Monday.

The rulemaking pledge continues a push by the Democratic administration to require airlines to improve customer service, and it comes just weeks before the start of the peak summer travel season.

The aim of the rules would be, for the first time, to require airlines to pay compensation beyond a ticket refund and to cover expenses that consumers incur, including rebooking on another flight, if the airline causes a cancellation or significant delay.

“When an airline causes a flight cancellation or delay, passengers should not foot the bill,” Buttigieg said in a statement.

Currently, when an airline cancels a flight for any reason, consumers can demand a refund of the unused part of their ticket and certain extras that they might have paid to the airline, such as fees for checking a bag or getting a seat assignment. Airlines often try to persuade consumers to accept a travel voucher instead of a refund.

After widespread flight disruptions last summer, the Transportation Department posted an online dashboard that was designed to pressure the airlines to improve customer service. The site lets consumers check each airline’s policy on refunds and compensation when flights are canceled or delayed.

Each of the 10 largest U.S. airlines quickly promised to provide cash or vouchers for meals when a cancellation forces passengers to wait at least three hours for another flight. Nine of the 10 — all but Frontier Airlines — also promised to pay for accommodations for passengers stranded overnight.

Questions arose again around reimbursing consumers for out-of-pocket costs after Southwest Airlines canceled nearly 17,000 flights during a December meltdown in service. The Transportation and Justice departments are investigating whether Southwest scheduled more flights than it realistically could handle.

The Transportation Department says it is working with the airlines to reduce cancellations and delays this summer, when air travel could exceed pre-coronavirus pandemic records.

A report last month from the congressional Government Accountability Office blamed airlines for many cancellations, but the Federal Aviation Administration has also created disruptions due to technology outages and staffing shortages. The FAA recently encouraged airlines to reduce flights to and from major New York airports this summer because it doesn’t have enough air traffic controllers at a key facility.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Biden Administration to Lend $1.5B to Restart Michigan Nuclear Power Plant, a First in the US

DON'T MISS

Wired Wednesday: How Going to Work for Trump Turned Devin Nunes Into a Millionaire

DON'T MISS

Chinese Leader Xi Issues a Positive Message to US Business Leaders as Ties Improve

DON'T MISS

Fresno Mayor Dyer Is the Man in Japan

DON'T MISS

Cargo Ship Lost Power, Issued Mayday Before Hitting Baltimore’s Bridge

DON'T MISS

Trump’s Social Media Company Soars Nearly 50% in Its First Day of Trading on Nasdaq

DON'T MISS

Boeing CEO to Exit in Broad Management Shakeup as Manufacturing Issues Plague Storied Plane Maker

DON'T MISS

Trump’s Social Media Company Approved to Go Public, Potentially Netting Former President Billions

DON'T MISS

BMW’s Vision Neue Klasse X Offers a Glimpse into the Future of Electric SAVs

DON'T MISS

Reddit, the Self-Anointed ‘Front Page of the Internet,’ Jumps 55% in Wall Street Debut

No data was found

Facebook News Tab Will Soon Be Unavailable as Meta Scales Back News and Political Content

3 hours ago

Stock Market Today: Wall Street Rises to More Records to Close Out Its Latest Winning Month

4 hours ago

A Fresno County First: Kerman Council Passes Amended Gaza Cease-Fire Resolution

4 hours ago

UN Top Court Orders Israel to Open More Land Crossings for Aid into Gaza

4 hours ago

How Involved Is Southern California Consulting Firm in FUSD Executive Dealings?

4 hours ago

Biden’s Fundraiser with Obama and Clinton Nets a Record $25 Million, His Campaign Says

5 hours ago

Fresno Unified’s Self-Protection Racket Is Hurting Our Kids

5 hours ago

Rockin’ Out or Laughing, the Valley Has Its Pick of Weekend Events

6 hours ago

Ex-Correctional Officer at Women’s Prison in California Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Inmates

8 hours ago

Caitlin Clark and Iowa Draw Nearly 5 Million Viewers for Second-Round NCAA Win

8 hours ago

PGA HOPE at Riverside Golf Course Introduces Military Veterans to the Game

PGA HOPE, now underway at Fresno’s Riverside Golf Course, is designed to introduce golf to veterans and active duty military members t...

2 hours ago

PGA HOPE at Fresno's Riverside Golf Course
2 hours ago

PGA HOPE at Riverside Golf Course Introduces Military Veterans to the Game

3 hours ago

Cronenworth’s Big Hit Helps Lift the Padres to a 6-4 Win Over Melvin’s Giants

3 hours ago

Shohei Ohtani Reaches 3 Times in Home Debut as the Dodgers Rout the Cardinals 7-1

3 hours ago

Facebook News Tab Will Soon Be Unavailable as Meta Scales Back News and Political Content

4 hours ago

Stock Market Today: Wall Street Rises to More Records to Close Out Its Latest Winning Month

4 hours ago

A Fresno County First: Kerman Council Passes Amended Gaza Cease-Fire Resolution

4 hours ago

UN Top Court Orders Israel to Open More Land Crossings for Aid into Gaza

4 hours ago

How Involved Is Southern California Consulting Firm in FUSD Executive Dealings?

MENU

CONNECT WITH US

Search

Send this to a friend