Current:Home > NewsBiden wants airlines to pay passengers whose flights are hit by preventable delays -TradeBridge
Biden wants airlines to pay passengers whose flights are hit by preventable delays
View
Date:2025-04-18 11:47:49
The Biden administration is seeking new regulations to address the unexpected costs and inconveniences experienced by passengers after the widespread flight disruptions this past winter.
Those regulations could include requiring airlines to compensate passengers as well as cover their meals, hotel rooms and rebooking fees in cases of preventable delays and cancelations.
President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the start of the rulemaking process on Monday afternoon — just weeks before the busy summer travel season.
"Our top priority has been to get American travelers a better deal," Biden said at the announcement. "This is just about being fair."
As of right now, virtually no U.S. airline offers cash compensation in addition to refunds or amenities, Biden pointed out. Historically, the federal government only has required airlines to pay back the cost of the flight ticket that was delayed or canceled.
In an interview on Monday with NPR's All Things Considered, Buttigieg said that the compensation offered by airlines, like mile points, often is insufficient.
"Passengers might not know that could only be worth maybe $10 or $20 when in fact, they're entitled to hundreds," he said. "We want to make that easier. We don't want you to have to fight for it."
Policies mandating this type of additional compensation already exist in Canada and the European Union, the White House said — and one study showed such regulations led to fewer flight delays in the EU.
In addition to the new rules, the Transportation Department has expanded its online Airline Customer Service Dashboard, which tracks each airline's policies on refunds and compensation when flights are cancelled or delayed.
The pressure for airlines to improve their customer service comes after widespread flight disruptions during the holiday season. Southwest canceled more than 16,000 flights between Christmas and the New Year, as massive winter storm coincided with the collapse of the company's outdated crew-scheduling software. Passengers throughout the country were left stranded for days with unexpected costs.
During a Senate hearing in February, Southwest Airlines chief operating officer Andrew Watterson said the company was working hard to refund airfares for canceled flights and to reimburse customers for extra expenses that they incurred, like hotels and meals.
"I want to sincerely and humbly apologize to those impacted by the disruption. It caused a tremendous amount of anguish, inconvenience and missed opportunities for our customers and our employees," Watterson said.
Despite the airline's efforts, the Transportation Department is currently investigating the airline company's holiday travel debacle and whether Southwest set unrealistic flight schedules.
veryGood! (63695)
Related
- Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
- Eggs prices drop, but the threat from avian flu isn't over yet
- Can Rights of Nature Laws Make a Difference? In Ecuador, They Already Are
- Maryland Thought Deregulating Utilities Would Lower Rates. It’s Cost the State’s Residents Hundreds of Millions of Dollars.
- A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
- Missing Titanic Tourist Submersible: Identities of People Onboard Revealed
- Tornadoes touch down in Chicago area, grounding flights and wrecking homes
- What is Bell's palsy? What to know after Tiffany Chen's diagnosis reveal
- The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
- The Pandemic Exposed the Severe Water Insecurity Faced by Southwestern Tribes
Ranking
- B.A. Parker is learning the banjo
- Exploding California Wildfires Rekindle Debate Over Whether to Snuff Out Blazes in Wilderness Areas or Let Them Burn
- Amazon Prime Day 2023: Everything You Need to Know to Get the Best Deals
- Tornadoes touch down in Chicago area, grounding flights and wrecking homes
- Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
- Allow Margot Robbie to Give You a Tour of Barbie's Dream House
- Twitter's new data access rules will make social media research harder
- How Some Dealerships Use 'Yo-yo Car Sales' To Take Buyers For A Ride
Recommendation
John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
Lottery scams to watch out for as Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots soars
Kate Spade 24-Hour Flash Deal: Get This $300 Backpack for Just $89
Inside Clean Energy: Fact-Checking the Energy Secretary’s Optimism on Coal
Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
Take 42% Off a Bissell Cordless Floor Cleaner That Replaces a Mop, Bucket, Broom, and Vacuum
Big Reefs in Big Trouble: New Research Tracks a 50 Percent Decline in Living Coral Since the 1950s
Saying goodbye to Pikachu and Ash, plus how Pokémon changed media forever