Did the airline cancel your flight? Did the plane arrive hours late due to a maintenance issue? Did the onboard Wi-Fi not work?
New federal rules state that travelers deserve a cash refund when inconvenienced by the airline – and not vouchers or travel credits.
“From now on, when your flight is canceled for any reason, you will be entitled to an automatic cash refund and it should be immediate,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to CNN’s John Berman on Wednesday (24).
“If the delay is significant – three hours in the domestic market, six hours abroad – or if there is another significant change to your itinerary, you should get your money back,” he added.
The rules, announced by the Department of Transportation on Wednesday, also require airlines to provide advance information about baggage fees and flight change fees. It will also require refunds for any baggage fees for bags that arrive more than 12 hours late and refunds for fees for a service purchased, such as Wi-Fi or seats, if the airline fails to deliver the service as it should.
Increase in Complaints in 2022
The Biden administration proposed changes to refund rules in 2022, following an increase in complaints about refunds. That year, the DOT received nearly 47,600 complaints, more than double the number of complaints received in 2021. More than half of the complaints involved flight cancellations or refunds.
Many travelers complained at the time that airlines offered flight credits without cash. Some of these credits expired long before the effects of the virus diminished and travel returned to more normal levels.
Source: CNN