White House Pushes New Rules to Compensate Travelers When a Flight Is Delayed or Canceled — What to Know

“When an airline causes a flight cancellation or delay, passengers should not foot the bill,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said.

The Biden administration and the Department of Transportation (DOT) proposed new rules on Monday requiring airlines to compensate passengers who experience significant flight delays or controllable cancellations.

The DOT initiated a rule-making process in which it will look at potentially requiring airlines to offer compensation in addition to refunds and cover expenses incurred during these instances, a White House official shared with Travel + Leisure. The redress could apply to things like meal vouchers, overnight accommodations, rebooking, and ground transportation to and from a hotel.

The new rule-making would also define exactly what constitutes a controllable cancellation or delay and would allow the DOT to examine policies on timely customer service during periods of widespread flight issues.

The DOT also expanded its Airline Customer Service Dashboard, building on the site it launched last year detailing compensation policies for the 10 major airlines in the United States. The dashboard, which demonstrates how policies differ by airline, now points out that no major U.S. airline currently offers cash compensation when a cancellation results in a passenger waiting for three or more hours, and only one (Alaska Airlines) guarantees frequent flyer miles.

The White House official told T+L this type of compensation, which already exists in Canada and the European Union, was shown to result in fewer delays in the EU in one study.

“When an airline causes a flight cancellation or delay, passengers should not foot the bill,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement Monday. “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.”

This rule-making process is the latest in a series of efforts to crack down on airlines. Last year, the DOT proposed a rule change that would require airlines to issue a refund if a domestic flight is delayed by more than three hours. And earlier this year, the DOT launched an online family seating dashboard highlighting which major U.S. airlines guarantee fee-free family seating for children who are 13 years old or younger.

For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.