New Air Travel Regulations Aim to Improve Passenger Experience
The Transportation Department recently announced new rules targeting issues related to refunds and surprise fees in air travel, aiming to make the experience more transparent and convenient for passengers.
Key Changes Introduced by the Department
- Clear Standards for Cancellations and Delays: Airlines will now be held to clear and consistent standards when canceling, delaying, or changing flights significantly.
- Automatic Refunds: The new rules require airlines to issue automatic refunds promptly when they owe passengers money.
- Transparent Fee Disclosure: Airlines are now mandated to disclose all fees upfront before a ticket is purchased.
Reactions to the New Regulations
While Airlines for America stated that carriers comply with existing regulations, passenger advocates and industry experts like Tomasz Pawliszyn of AirHelp have praised the new rules as a significant enhancement of consumer rights and protections.
One notable change is the introduction of a single definition for a “significant” delay, which will be when departure or arrival is delayed by three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international flights, eliminating the previous variations among airlines.
