New DOT Rules Promise to Make Air Travel Less Horrible
New DOT Rules Promise to Make Air Travel Less Horrible
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation, led by Secretary Pete Buttigieg, announced sweeping new regulations on Wednesday, requiring airlines to offer automatic cash refunds for significant delays and cancellations, marking a major shift towards enhanced passenger rights.
“Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them – without headaches or haggling,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Our new rule sets a new standard to require airlines to promptly provide cash refunds to their passengers.”
Currently, airlines can offer passengers non-monetary refunds, such as free miles, for things like flight cancellations, delayed baggage, and poor Wi-Fi connections. The new rules will require airlines to refund the money passengers have paid for these services without requiring those passengers to ask for cash refunds.
“Airlines must automatically issue refunds without passengers having to explicitly request them or jump through hoops,” stated Secretary Buttigieg, emphasizing the new mandate to simplify and ensure fairness in the refund process.
“Up until now, even though technically you’re already supposed to be able to get your money back for cancellation, you have to really fight for it,” Buttigieg said about the new rules. “A lot of times, what the airline would do is they’d say, ‘OK, well, here’s 5,000 miles,’ and that might sound great if you’re not aware that 5,000 miles is worth, say, $50 and you’re actually entitled to 400 bucks in a ticket refund,” Secretary Buttigieg explained.
The new rules will also eliminate the frustration of hidden and surprise fees by requiring airlines to disclose all costs upfront during the booking process. This transparency ensures that passengers can make informed decisions about their travel options, free from unexpected charges at the time of purchase or check-in.
“Today’s announcements will require airlines to both provide passengers better information about costs before ticket purchase, and promptly provide cash refunds to passengers when they are owed — not only saving passengers time and money, but also preventing headaches,” Buttigieg said.
Machinists Union District Legislative Director David Roderick expressed strong support for the new regulations, noting their broader impact on the industry and workforce. “These regulations are a win-win for everyone involved,” Roderick said. “Better treatment of passengers directly contributes to more profitable airlines, which translates to more good-paying union jobs. This is exactly the kind of legislation our members should champion.”
Since 2021, the Department of Transportation has implemented several sweeping new airline regulations aimed at protecting the flying public. Under Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the DOT has advanced the largest expansion of airline passenger rights, issued record fines, and returned more money to passengers than ever before.
Thanks to initiatives imposed by the Department of Transportation, all major U.S. airlines now guarantee free rebooking and meals, with most offering hotel accommodations for significant delays. These guarantees are all enforceable by the DOT.
In 2023, the U.S. achieved a record-low flight cancellation rate of under 1.2% despite high travel volumes. DOT is also reviewing airline privacy practices and loyalty programs aimed at further expanding passenger rights and transparency.
We have a quick favor to ask. If only 10% of union members sign up for regular donations to support important legislative and regulatory goals like this, we can put airline workers front and center on Capitol Hill. Becoming a recurring donor is more than a contribution—it’s a commitment to our cause and a testament to the power of collective action. Every donation helps, no matter the size.
Related News
Power The Polls: Essential Workers Needed
Election officials around the country are dealing with the challenges of running an election unlike any they’ve run before. What was considered a healthy turnout of voters in a regular year could become a COVID superspreader event in 2020. One of the biggest problems...
Aviation Supports 46 Million Jobs. Congress Must Act.
The severe downturn in air traffic caused by Covid-19, followed by a slow recovery, will result in a loss of up to 46 million aviation-dependent jobs. The findings come from an industry study by Air Transport Action Group, released this week. Airlines directly support...
Airlines Post First Million-Passenger Day Since Pandemic Began
Over one million air travelers passed through TSA checkpoints on Sunday. The figure is the highest passenger count since the pandemic began hitting the airline industry in March, but is still just under half of 2019 levels. Airlines still need immediate aid from...
Stay up to date with all the latest news and information from the District 141 of the Machinists Union
New DOT Rules Promise to Make Air Travel Less Horrible
25 April 2024
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation, led by Secretary Pete Buttigieg, announced sweeping new regulations on Wednesday, requiring airlines to offer automatic cash refunds for significant delays and cancellations, marking a major shift towards enhanced passenger rights.
“Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them – without headaches or haggling,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Our new rule sets a new standard to require airlines to promptly provide cash refunds to their passengers.”
Currently, airlines can offer passengers non-monetary refunds, such as free miles, for things like flight cancellations, delayed baggage, and poor Wi-Fi connections. The new rules will require airlines to refund the money passengers have paid for these services without requiring those passengers to ask for cash refunds.
“Airlines must automatically issue refunds without passengers having to explicitly request them or jump through hoops,” stated Secretary Buttigieg, emphasizing the new mandate to simplify and ensure fairness in the refund process.
“Up until now, even though technically you’re already supposed to be able to get your money back for cancellation, you have to really fight for it,” Buttigieg said about the new rules. “A lot of times, what the airline would do is they’d say, ‘OK, well, here’s 5,000 miles,’ and that might sound great if you’re not aware that 5,000 miles is worth, say, $50 and you’re actually entitled to 400 bucks in a ticket refund,” Secretary Buttigieg explained.
The new rules will also eliminate the frustration of hidden and surprise fees by requiring airlines to disclose all costs upfront during the booking process. This transparency ensures that passengers can make informed decisions about their travel options, free from unexpected charges at the time of purchase or check-in.
“Today’s announcements will require airlines to both provide passengers better information about costs before ticket purchase, and promptly provide cash refunds to passengers when they are owed — not only saving passengers time and money, but also preventing headaches,” Buttigieg said.
Machinists Union District Legislative Director David Roderick expressed strong support for the new regulations, noting their broader impact on the industry and workforce. “These regulations are a win-win for everyone involved,” Roderick said. “Better treatment of passengers directly contributes to more profitable airlines, which translates to more good-paying union jobs. This is exactly the kind of legislation our members should champion.”
Since 2021, the Department of Transportation has implemented several sweeping new airline regulations aimed at protecting the flying public. Under Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the DOT has advanced the largest expansion of airline passenger rights, issued record fines, and returned more money to passengers than ever before.
Thanks to initiatives imposed by the Department of Transportation, all major U.S. airlines now guarantee free rebooking and meals, with most offering hotel accommodations for significant delays. These guarantees are all enforceable by the DOT.
In 2023, the U.S. achieved a record-low flight cancellation rate of under 1.2% despite high travel volumes. DOT is also reviewing airline privacy practices and loyalty programs aimed at further expanding passenger rights and transparency.
We have a quick favor to ask. If only 10% of union members sign up for regular donations to support important legislative and regulatory goals like this, we can put airline workers front and center on Capitol Hill. Becoming a recurring donor is more than a contribution—it’s a commitment to our cause and a testament to the power of collective action. Every donation helps, no matter the size.
Related
Power The Polls: Essential Workers Needed
Election officials around the country are dealing with the challenges of running an election unlike any they’ve run before. What was considered a healthy turnout of voters in a regular year could become a COVID superspreader event in 2020. One of the biggest problems...
Aviation Supports 46 Million Jobs. Congress Must Act.
The severe downturn in air traffic caused by Covid-19, followed by a slow recovery, will result in a loss of up to 46 million aviation-dependent jobs. The findings come from an industry study by Air Transport Action Group, released this week. Airlines directly support...
Airlines Post First Million-Passenger Day Since Pandemic Began
Over one million air travelers passed through TSA checkpoints on Sunday. The figure is the highest passenger count since the pandemic began hitting the airline industry in March, but is still just under half of 2019 levels. Airlines still need immediate aid from...