WASHINGTON—The Biden administration announced Monday that it will require airlines to compensate passengers for significant flight delays and cancellations.
The proposed rule would require airlines to offer cash payments, rather than simply refunds, for serious travel disruptions under the airline’s control. No airline guarantees cash compensation for
“If an airline causes a flight to be canceled or delayed, passengers should not be responsible for the charges,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement. or require airlines to compensate passengers and cover the costs of meals, hotels, rebooking, etc., if they cause significant delays.”
Buttigieg and President Biden will hold an event at the White House on Monday afternoon to further the plan.
The airline industry has been under intense scrutiny after a string of hardships, including the recent disruption of numerous flights as travelers returned to the skies after the peak of the coronavirus pandemic. increase. In December, a winter storm disrupted operations at Southwest Airlines, leaving passengers stranded during the holiday travel season.
The proposed rule reinforces Buttigieg’s commitment to helping the airline industry improve the customer experience. During his tenure, the Department of Transportation has fined airlines millions of dollars for a number of violations, including issues related to customer refunds, but some critics say the industry I asked him to take a tougher stance.
In September, the department online dashboard Show travelers what services you are entitled to if your flight is delayed or canceled; Buttigieg credits the creation of the dashboard with encouraging airlines to improve their policies towards consumers.
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