The Biden administration is developing rules requiring airlines to compensate customers and provide meals and hotel accommodations if they strand passengers due to airline-related issues.
The regulation vow comes weeks before the high summer travel season and continues the Democratic administration’s push to enhance airline customer service.
The new rules will require airlines to provide compensation and cover additional expenses, such as rebooking, if they cancel or delay a flight.
“When an airline causes a flight cancellation or delay, passengers should not foot the bill,” Buttigieg said.
If an airline cancels a trip, the carrier must refund passengers for the unused portion of their ticket and any airline fees, such as those for checking a bag or asking for a seat assignment.
Airlines frequently offer travel vouchers instead of refunds.
After significant flight cancellations last summer, the Transportation Department launched an online dashboard to urge airlines to improve customer service.
On the dashboard, passengers can check cancellations and refund policies.
Each of the 10 top U.S. airlines promptly committed to pay cash or vouchers for meals when a cancellation requires passengers to wait at least three hours for another trip.
All but Frontier Airlines pledged to pay for overnight lodgings for stranded travelers.
After Southwest Airlines canceled roughly 17,000 flights in December, questions about reimbursement surfaced again.
Southwest’s overbooking remains under investigation by the Transportation and Justice departments.
The Transportation Department is working with carriers to avoid cancellations and delays this summer when air traffic could break pre-coronavirus pandemic records.
Last month, an audit by the Government Accountability Office found that airlines were responsible for numerous flight cancellations.
However, the Federal Aviation Administration’s technology outages and staff shortages have also contributed to flight disruptions.
The FAA told airlines to reduce flights at major New York airports this summer due to a lack of air traffic controllers.
