Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt the effects of a delayed or canceled flight. We have a feeling there are a LOT of raised hands out there.
Flight issues have hit all kinds of airlines, particularly when it comes to Southwest and the holiday travel drama of 2022. There have been talks of changing things to avoid future cancelations on certain airlines or adjusting policies in general when it comes to cancelations and delays (or other fees and policies) and now change could be coming in a big way.
According to The Washington Post, President Biden and his administration are proposing changes that would make airlines compensate passengers for certain disruptions.
The Transportation Department is working to enact new rules that would guarantee compensation to travelers when cancellations or significant delays happen that are under an airlines’ control.
There are several changes being proposed but among them are that airlines would be required to: rebook travelers, provide a meal or meal vouchers, and pay for hotel accommodations and travel to and from the airport for the stranded travelers.
Biden said, “Last holiday season, travelers were stranded for days and had to scramble to find other ways to reach their destinations…And while flight delays and cancellations have come down since then, there’s still a problem. American air travelers deserve better.”
This new proposal would put Americans under similar travel provisions as Canadians and Europeans. The current provisions from the Department only require ticket refunds by U.S. airlines in these situations.
The proposed changes have been viewed positively by consumer groups, but will likely face “fierce opposition from the airline industry.”
While the changes might seem good, some have warned of potentially negative results for consumers. Kerry Tan, an associate professor of economics at Loyola University Maryland, raised concerns that airlines could increase flight prices to “make up for the additional costs” or reduce their flights to improve their performance.
Some of these changes may not be seen for a long time, so what can you do in the meantime? Well, for now, you can check out the Transportation Department’s dashboard to see what each airline has promised to provide if there is a delay or cancelation.
The dashboard also now shows whether airlines provide cash or other forms of compensation when there are cancelations or delays under their control.
William McGee, a senior fellow at the American Economic Liberties Project, said, “The question is: Will that have an effect in effectively shaming some airlines that have nothing but red X’s instead of green check marks?…Let’s hope so.”
Even with the extra preparation analysts are saying that the potential for significant disruptions could still remain. If you’ll be traveling soon, be prepared for potential delays and cancelations and know what you’re entitled to.
Only time will tell for now on how this new push to hold airlines accountable for flight cancellations and delays will fair, but for the most up-to-date information on travel stay tuned with us at AllEars.
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How do you feel about these changes? Tell us below!
Private businesses will always pass on the cost to the consumers to offset any losses due to government regulations.
Airlines have already stated that ticket prices will increase to cover the benefits. What looks like a win for the customer never really is. Cooperate heads report to their investors. It’s the lowly customer that always foots the bill.