Transportation Dept: Airlines may face responsibility for flight delays and cancellations.

Transportation Secretary Announces New Rules for Airline Reimbursements

Passengers No Longer Footing the Bill for Delayed and Cancelled Flights

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has announced new rules requiring airlines to reimburse customers for expenses incurred due to certain delayed and cancelled flights. This move comes as the industry faces elevated demand and a constrained labor force.

The proposed rules would apply when an airline delays a flight for more than three hours or cancels a flight for a “controllable” reason. The firms would be mandated to offer compensation for stranded passengers, as well as a meal or meal voucher, overnight accommodations, and ground transportation between the airport and hotel.

“When an airline causes a flight cancellation or delay, passengers should not foot the bill,” Buttigieg said in a statement, noting that the proposed reimbursement rules would be the first in American history.

The move comes after Southwest Airlines experienced holiday travel disruptions last year due to extreme winter weather conditions, staff shortages, and an outdated computer system. The carrier canceled thousands of flights days after other carriers had resumed normal operations. Buttigieg told the company, which has since promised to compensate passengers for all expenses incurred during that time, that the disruptions were “unacceptable” and promised that his agency would exercise “the fullest extent of its investigative and enforcement powers” to ensure customers are reimbursed.

The new proposals also occur as the sector faces a severely limited pool of available pilots and frontline staff. Carriers previously encouraged commercial pilots to retire as worldwide lockdowns caused demand for air travel to plummet in the spring of 2020, worsening a previous trend toward a lack of available pilots. Elevated prices for airline tickets and a rapid return in travel demand, however, are now prompting lawmakers to consider the problem.

What the New Rules Mean for You

• If your flight is delayed for more than three hours or cancelled for a “controllable” reason, you are entitled to compensation for expenses incurred.
• You will receive a meal or meal voucher, overnight accommodations, and ground transportation between the airport and hotel.
• Passengers will no longer be responsible for footing the bill for airline-caused delays and cancellations.

Regional Airline Association CEO Faye Malarkey Black told members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee last month that more than 50% of current pilots would be forced to retire within the next 15 years because of federal rules mandating that pilots exit their positions once they reach 65 years of age, even as only 8% of pilots are below 30 years of age due to the high cost of flight education. Buttigieg has opposed legislation that would increase the retirement threshold to 67 years of age, contending that “the answer is to make sure we have as many and as good pilots ready to take their place, to have a stronger pipeline.”

Don’t let airline-caused delays and cancellations ruin your travel plans. With these new rules, you can rest assured that you won’t be left to foot the bill.

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