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Stranded passenger airline compensation overview:
- Who: The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced new rulemaking that would require airlines to compensate passengers stranded by controllable flight cancellations or delays.
- Why: The DOT said it is making the new rulemaking after discovering few airlines currently compensate passengers in the event of a controllable flight cancellation or delay.
- Where: The new rulemaking will impact air travelers nationwide.
- What are my options: Jet Blue’s rewards program offers perks for air travelers.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced plans to initiate a new rulemaking that will require airlines to compensate passengers stranded by controllable flight cancellations and delays.
The DOT said it is making the new rulemaking after discovering — through its newly-expanded DOT dashboard — that only a few airlines currently provide compensation to passengers facing flight cancellations or delays.
“When an airline causes a flight cancellation or delay, passengers should not foot the bill,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, in a statement.
Under the DOT’s new rulemaking, airlines would be required to cover expenses such as meals, hotels, and rebooking for passengers stranded by flight cancellations or delays that the airline is responsible for.
The new rulemaking will also look to improve what defines a controllable cancellation or delay, and improve customer service times “during and after periods of widespread flight irregularities,” according to the DOT.
“This rule would, for the first time in U.S. history, propose to require airlines to compensate passengers and cover expenses such as meals, hotels, and rebooking in cases where the airline has caused a cancellation or significant delay,” Buttigieg said.
DOT expands airline customer service dashboard to provide more info on possible flight delay, cancellation compensation
The DOT has also expanded its airline customer service dashboard to include information on which airlines currently offer cash compensation, provide travel credits vouchers, or award frequent flier miles in the event of a controllable cancellation or delay.
As it stands, only one airline guarantees frequent flier miles in the event of a controllable delay or cancellation, while two airlines guarantee travel credits or vouchers, according to the DOT, which said no airlines currently guarantee cash compensation.
“The Department’s rulemaking proposes to ensure that passengers experiencing controllable delays and cancellations are better protected from financial losses than is the case today,” the DOT said.
The DOT launched its airline customer service dashboard in September 2022, announcing at that time that it included participation from 10 airlines and would help travelers discover services provided in the event of a controllable flight cancellation or delay.
Have you been compensated for a controllable flight delay or cancellation? Let us know in the comments!
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5 thoughts onDOT announces plans for airlines to compensate stranded passengers
Include US & Sue them! This has been happening from 2020-present; Especially more 2022-present; U book Flight, the airlines cancels it, they cuts of number Passengers; loses or sends your luggage to another destination to where the passengers in front of you are going, without correcting their ERRORS only because the Employee at the Counter did not close out Passengers in front of you, their flight! Losing your Personal & Business luggage with 2 Computers & Everything, your life, worth $3 plus Million dollars! Delta Airlines Employee & no 1 has helped me locate my luggage from 11/2022-present!
S.F. to Denver to Idaho. S.F. flight was 2 hours late taking off which caused me to miss connecting flight from Denver to Lewiston Idaho. Had to stay in Denver two extra days with no compensation. Will never fly United again.
frontier did this to me. they canceled the flight, gave me no other option on another flight, pretty much, shrugged her shoulders, and told me I was on my own. I was heading to Chicago to see my son graduate from the Navy. they said it was due to weather conditions however, I went over to Spirit Airlines and was able to get a ticket out in less than an hour later. frontier is horrible, they don’t care about taking care of their customers only making money.
That is fine because we have a family trip coming up but I do not want to go because of the trauma of that particular situation
I did a trip on American Airlines and I was stranded because when we a group of us got to the plane they told us that we were too late to board although we were not too late to board we had made it in ample time so I had to make time as a senior that was very aggravating to me I had to find somewhere to stay for a certain amount of time I had to feed myself they didn’t offer a free meal or anything and wait for the next flight which took hours after we miss the flight they made us wait in this extremely long line to try to get another ticket for the flight too young Caucasian people saw my trauma invited me to eat and have cocktails with them as kindness gesture for a senior my children were waiting for me at my destination of O’Hare Airport because of this disruption I was not compensated any kind of way of any sort for their mistake a Airlines Steward told me to pick my luggage up however my luggage was not there it was at my destination at O’Hare Airport also miss led by staff