The airline system is melting down, so maybe we can at least get paid

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By Webdesk


Flying sucks. On the one hand, it still feels a bit miraculous to climb into a metal tube and be flung across the land, through the clouds at hundreds of miles per hour. But then again, almost everything about that experience is bad and gets worse over time.

The question of who should pay for the airline tickets if things go wrong has been in the air for some time. The obvious answer is the airlines, but the major airlines resist, preferring to let passengers pay for all their accommodation themselves when flights are delayed or cancelled. But that way of doing things may be coming to an end.

The question of who should pay for the airline tickets if things go wrong has been in the air for some time

Airlines would be responsible for reimbursing passengers for hotels, meals and other expenses when their flights are delayed or canceled under a new proposal from the Biden administration. The push comes after a series of spectacular high-profile meltdowns involving Southwest Airlines and other airlines that left thousands of passengers stranded during busy travel seasons.

The number of canceled flights has risen steadily over the past four years (not counting 2020 due to covid).
Image: The Verge, via Bureau of Transportation Statistics

“This rule would propose, for the first time in U.S. history, requiring airlines to compensate passengers and cover expenses such as meals, hotels and rebookings in cases where the airline has caused a cancellation or significant delay,” said transportation secretary Pete. Buttigieg. in a statement.

According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the overall cancellation rate in 2022 was 2.69 percent, representing 181,286 canceled flights. There were 1,376,798 arrival delays in 2022, a rate of 20.46 percent of flights.

“This rule would, for the first time in U.S. history, propose requiring airlines to compensate passengers”

Under the new proposal, the U.S. Department of Transportation is expanding the Airline Customer Service Dashboard on FlightRights.gov, which shows which airlines offer compensation when flights are delayed or canceled. According to the Department of Transportation, the following categories are now being added:

  • Cash compensation in the event of cancellation or delay that causes the passenger to wait three hours or more from the scheduled departure time;
  • Travel credit / voucher when cancellation or delay results in the passenger having to wait three hours or more for the scheduled departure time; And
  • Frequent flyer miles for cancellations or delays that require the passenger to wait three hours or more for a flight from the scheduled departure time.

As for who gets what, how much, and when, a lot will depend on how the department defines “manageable cancellation and delay.” The definition will be in the official regulations when it eventually comes out, but the overall goal is to force the airlines to improve their on-time performance numbers.

Currently, no airlines offer cash compensation for avoidable cancellations or delays. Some guarantee frequent flyer miles or hand out travel credits or vouchers. In the US, there is no legal obligation for airlines to provide cash compensation for delays or cancellations, but the European Union requires airlines to pay up to €600.

Of course, the airline industry hates this idea and will lobbied vigorously against it. Airlines for America, representing most of the major airlines, told Reuters that U.S. airlines “have no reason to delay or cancel a flight and make every effort to ensure that flights depart and arrive on time, but that safety is always the top priority.”

This is the latest bid by the Biden administration to reform air travel after noticing a series of recent flight meltdowns. A proposal has recently been tabled to force airlines to refund passengers for services they have paid for that are not actually provided, such as broken Wi-Fi.



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