Summary

Amid an infuriating summer for air travel, the Department of Transportation is proposing changes to federal policy that guide flight refunds, providing more recourse for passengers when airlines cancel flights or significantly alter a flight`s schedule, route or seat categories. “This new proposed rule would protect the rights of travelers and help ensure they get the timely refunds they deserve from the airlines,” said Pete Buttigieg, the transportation secretary, in a statement on Wednesday announcing the proposal. Under the current Department of Transportation policy, airlines are already supposed to reimburse passengers for flights that have been canceled or “significantly changed. ” But carriers have been accused of exploiting both the ambiguity around the term “significantly changed” and the fact that many air travelers do not know that they are entitled to refunds, instead of credits, for canceled flights.The proposed policy defines “significantly changed” as a three-hour delay for a domestic flight and a six-hour delay for an international flight. This week, several Democratic senators, including Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, both of Massachusetts, introduced a bill with similar protections. Air travel for many has been frustrating throughout the pandemic, but over the past year the number of delays and cancellations has increased, affecting thousands of passengers eager to travel after two years of restrictions and closures. As hospitality professional I learned canceled or delayed flight is bad. that makes people frustrated and they should work on that. We should always give guests best service possible.