SAN DIEGO – In anticipation of the summer travel months, the Biden administration is working on new regulations that will crack down on airline’s flight cancellations.
The new rules, which come after last year’s numerous travel mishaps, would require airlines to take full responsibility when flights are cancelled or delayed and its their fault.
Current law requires airlines to provide cash refunds to passengers if a flight is cancelled, as opposed to vouchers.
These new guidelines would build upon those regulations by extending coverage to other costs stranded travelers often face after changes to a flight are made for reasons within the airlines’ control, including meals or hotel rooms.
“Having to figure out different places to stay, if it’s not the town you’re from … We live two hours from the airport, so going down is a hassle coming back isn’t even a bigger hassle,” two travelers at San Diego International Airport, Colleen and Jake, told FOX 5.
They know firsthand the frustrations of traveling across the U.S. in the last couple of years: “We’ve had flights delayed and canceled and it’s a nightmare,” Colleen said.
They’ve had no problems on this trip, their first to San Diego, but they were happy to hear the announcement Monday morning by President Joe Biden that he is proposing new rules later this year to increase liability for airlines when cancellations or long delays occur.
“A year ago, almost no major airline guaranteed any compensation beyond the price of the ticket,” Biden said in a press conference.
Last year, multiple debacles caused widespread travel disruptions for domestic airline passengers during peak seasons.
In the summer, staff shortages prompted over 45,000 cancellations, according to federal data from the Department of Transpiration. Months later, Southwest had a major meltdown due to technical issues that left thousands stranded during the Christmas travel season.
Following these incidents, the White House launched an online dashboard FlightRights.gov as a resource for airline passengers, listing all costs and feed so travelers can make better informed decisions.
“Today, we’ve expanded that dashboard to include airlines guaranteeing an additional compensation like cash, miles, or travel vouchers,” Biden said Monday.
The most exciting news for travelers, however, just might be the proposed rule changes that would require airlines to pay the full price of any costs incurred by consumers due to cancellations.
“It’s not voluntary, but mandatory, for all U.S. airlines to compensate you with meals, hotels, taxis, ride shares, and rebooking fees, and cash, miles, (or) travel vouchers,” explained Biden.
For people like Colleen and Jake — really, most of us — for whom traveling is a huge expense, getting stranded and having to pay out of pocket is simply not an option.
“I’m 23 years old,” Colleen said. “When I’m flying, I can barely afford my airline ticket, let alone — if it was canceled — having to buy a new one and then an additional place to stay.”
“I budget very specifically when I’m on trips to be the exact cost that I planned for,” she continued, “so when those unforeseen circumstances come out, somebody like me would not really be able to afford it.”
