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With new rules launched in late April, the Department of Transportation (D.O.T) is tackling some of the most significant pain points for air travel: hidden fees and difficult-to-manage refunds.
With the new regulations set to take effect in approximately six months, passengers will be empowered as airlines will be mandated to automatically issue cash refunds when flights are canceled or significantly altered.
Most importantly, the D.O.T also specifically defined what qualifies as a significant change instead of allowing airlines to set the standards. Cash refunds are now automatically owed to passengers because:
• Departure or arrival time is changed by more than three hours for a domestic or more than six hours for an international flight.
• Departure or arrival airport is changed from the time of booking
• Connections at a different airport than what was initially scheduled
• Aircraft changes to a plane that is less accessible to a person with disabilities
• An increase in the number of connections
• Additional services that are paid for but not rendered, like inflight Wi-Fi or seat selection (fees only refunded, not total ticket price)
• Luggage arrival that’s over 12 hours delayed for domestic flights or more than 15-30 hours late for international flights (depending on the length of the flight)
Under the new rules, refunds must be made in full, typically within weeks, depending on the form of payment, and without passengers having to request them.
The D.O.T. is championing transparency by compelling airlines to disclose the actual cost of a flight upfront, eliminating the practice of burying fees in the booking process, and surprising travelers with the final price at the end — or worse, at the airport.
When the new regulations are enacted, airlines must display the fees for first and second-checked bags and carry-on bags and the cost of canceling or changing a reservation.
This also means that airlines can’t send travelers to a separate link to try to find this information.
While the current regulations do not directly tackle the issue of airlines charging extra for families to sit together, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg assures the public that the department is also actively working on this matter.
For more details, read the full briefing here.
Jessica is a freelance journalist on a quest to see and experience everything our gorgeous planet offers and share her experiences with her fellow travelers. Jessica has written for several world-class Travel Magazines.
