Last week, the Department of Transportation issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking “that examined requiring U.S. and foreign air carriers to adopt and adhere to customer service plans identifying essential services (meals, rebooking, hotel, transportation to or from hotel, timely customer service) and compensation which airlines would be required to provide to mitigate passenger inconveniences when the cause of a cancellation or delay for flights to, within and from the United States was due to circumstances within the airline’s control. Consistent with Department and administration priorities, the Department plans to withdraw the ANPRM.”
Under the proposal, travelers could have been entitled to cash compensation of up to $300 for domestic flight delays that lasted at least three hours and up to $775 for delays that stretched past nine hours, on top of compensation for other unexpected costs incurred, such as meals and lodging.
The Biden-era commitment, welcomed by weary travelers in light of “a string of chaotic travel seasons that saw widespread cancellations due to factors such as post-pandemic staffing shortages and technology-related issues. The cancellations left travelers stranded, most notably during the summer of 2022 and the holiday meltdown that same year.”
The new rules would have provided “cash compensation of up to $300 for domestic flight delays that lasted at least three hours and up to $775 for delays that stretched past nine hours, on top of compensation for other unexpected costs incurred, such as meals and lodging.”
Quotes taken from:
The Department of Transportation
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