Do new federal refund rules for airlines cover weather delays?
Under new federal rules, airline travelers are now guaranteed an automatic cash refund if a scheduled flight is delayed three or more hours domestically or delayed six hours internationally. However, it is not yet clear if all delays, regardless of the reason, will be subject to the rules.
Commercial pilot Kathleen Bangs said that while she hasn't seen the fine print on the new rules yet, she doubts the weather policy would change.
"In other words, when there's major impacts like we saw with COVID, when there's major impacts to the air traffic control system, when there's severe and dangerous weather, when we've seen with blizzards and ice storms, that shuts down airports, when there's security issues – there's still a lot of issues in which the airlines are not on the hook," Bangs said. "So I don't necessarily see that that will change."
The new rule can be enforced six months after it goes into the Federal Register, which will likely be the first glimpse at that important fine print.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced Wednesday that airlines were unhappy with the proposed change, but he didn't think the new rule would be a big change for them.
"A lot of what we hear from passengers involves refunds, or the lack thereof, for passengers who experienced cancellations and disruptions," he said. "In theory, passengers are already supposed to be refunded for a cancellation or a major delay. In practice, it often doesn't work that way."
Until the new rules, airlines decided what constituted a significant delay.
WORST AIRPORTS FOR FLIGHT DELAYS
Bangs agrees but fears the announcement will leave customers confused as to how much compensation they are owed.
"I don't see that this necessarily means that any reason now that your flight is delayed, you're automatically going to get this refund, and I think people need to understand this," she said. "In most cases, you're still going to want to take a flight, whether it's delayed three hours or next day. So you're not going to get a refund and the flight. I hope people are clear on that."
The DOT also included other passenger protection measures in the new rules. FOX Business details the protections in "Biden admin's new airline rules to require cash refunds for canceled flights, fees disclosed up front."
WHAT TO DO IF YOUR FLIGHT IS CANCELED
Passengers have an option for a refund, or refund in airline miles, if they turn down the airlines' offers of alternate transportation, credit, vouchers or other compensation for a flight within, to or from the U.S. Refunds must be "prompt," within seven business days for credit card payments or 20 days for other forms of payment like miles.
Keeping airlines accountable will improve service across the board, Buttigieg suggested.
"When an airline knows that all, instead of just a few of the passengers on a canceled flight, are likely to actually get their money back, it gives them a different set of reasons to put in the investment, and the realistic scheduling that makes those cancelations less likely to happen," he said.
HOW A WEATHER DELAY ON A FLIGHT COULD PUT MONEY BACK IN YOUR WALLET
Until the rule goes into effect, the DOT encourages passengers to check with the Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard to find out which airlines offer compensation and what type for delays and cancelations. For example: All 10 major airlines offer a meal or meal cash/voucher when a cancelation means a three-hour delay to wait for a new flight.
Original article source: Do new federal refund rules for airlines cover weather delays?
