American Airlines delays overview:
- Who: American Airlines was fined $4.1 million by the United States Department of Transportation (DOT).
- Why: The American Airlines fine comes after the airline violated a rule by keeping a plane delayed on the tarmac for more than three hours without allowing passengers to deplane.
- Where: The American Airlines fine was announced by the DOT office in Washington, D.C.
The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced it is fining American Airlines a record $4.1 million after the airline was found to have broken the DOT’s rule regarding tarmac delays of three hours or more where passengers were not allowed to deplane.
An investigation into the American Airlines delays showed the airline had dozens of delays that violated the law. The American Airlines fine also includes a cease-and-desist order that the airline stop violating the rule.
The American Airlines fine is the largest ever for tarmac delays and the fine is part of DOT’s unprecedented effort to ensure the traveling public is protected, including returning more than $2.5 billion in refunds to travelers.
“This is the latest action in our continued drive to enforce the rights of airline passengers,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Whether the issue is extreme tarmac delays or problems getting refunds, DOT will continue to protect consumers and hold airlines accountable.”
More than $2 million of record fine will go directly to passengers
The DOT investigation spanning from 2018 to 2021 found that American Airlines delays on the tarmac violated the rule 43 times on domestic flights. None of those flights fit the few safety and security exceptions to the rule.
A tarmac delay at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport further violated the rule as passengers were not provided food and water during the delay as required. Overall, a total of 5,821 passengers were impacted by the American Airlines delays.
The DOT asked that $2.05 million of the $4.1 million fine be credited for passenger compensation for the tarmac flight delays, and asked that airlines credit the affected passengers so some of the funds that would have gone to the Federal Treasury instead go directly to the affected passengers.
American Airlines recently filed a lawsuit against Skiplagged Inc. for selling American Airlines tickets without being an authorized agent.
Have you been delayed on the tarmac on an American Airlines flight? Let us know in the comments.
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2 thoughts onAmerican Airlines fined record $4M for tarmac delays
My flight was delayed from DFW to Austin back in June. We sat on the tarmac after delayed boarding only to return to the terminal to have our flight canceled. This was middle of the night, but our rescheduled flight wouldn’t board til 530am. It’s a one hour flight. I had my family come pick me up. Problem was that they checked my carry on and then lost it for 4 days. We are starting our 3rd month of them promising compensation for the lost luggage and cancelled flight. They keep saying they have send the checks but they have yet to arrive. Not to mention my return flight was cancelled 4 times causing me to be stranded for 5 days longer than planned and missing 3 days of work. I was promised compensation but have received absolutely nothing as of today.
This past Thursday traveling from ORD to DCA we boarded the plane around 6:55pm and flight did not take off until 10:50 pm. We were unable to get off the plane, was incredibly hot on board, and they did not pass out water until 2 hours into delay.