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If you fly with any degree of frequency, chances are high that you've had at least one experience with a severe flight delay lasting several hours. Maybe that delay was so bad that the flight ended up getting cancelled, or it made you miss your connection, or you were forced to take on an overnight layover you didn't have planned. This is all incredibly frustrating on its own, but even more frustrating is the fact that airlines always seem to have a loophole out of giving you a refund or even a meal voucher, unless your flight delay conforms to some very specific conditions.
But at last, this unfortunate era of air travel could be coming to an end. On Wednesday, April 24, the Department of Transportation just rolled out new rules protecting air travelers, including one particular game-changing rule that travelers have been clamoring for for years!
This is cause for celebration! Airlines have essentially gotten away with monetary murder for years, but the Department of Transportation finally said "no more." According to @gma , the DOT's new rule mandates that airlines must automatically give air travelers a refund for all significantly delayed and canceled flights for any reason - no ifs, ands, or buts about it. That's a cash refund, too, not "travel credit," so people will actually get their money back!
Related: Heads Up, Air Travelers: Now United Airlines Is Facing Trouble with the Feds
Under the DOT's rule, a flight delay is considered "significant" if it's 3+ hours for domestic flights and 6+ hours for international flights . And it's not just delayed and canceled flights that can earn you a refund, either. Flyers will also receive automatic refunds for airport changes, added connections, seat downgrades, and changes to aircraft that are less accessible to people with disabilities.
Oh, I'm sorry, that list still isn't finished. According to the Department of Transportation's press release , travelers will also receive automatic cash refunds for checked baggage fees for significantly delayed baggage returns (12+ hours for domestic flights and 15-30 hours for international flights). In addition, passengers will also be entitled to service fee refunds if the airline fails to provide the extra service in question ( in-flight entertainment , seat selections, Wi-Fi, etc.). Phew!
A Massive Win for the Little Guy
This is a sea change for air travelers. Major air carriers have been notoriously stingy about giving out refunds for years, carefully shaping their policies to get around it in most scenarios. Millions of travelers have lost luggage or equipment, and have had travel plans significantly altered or ruined thanks to airlines, and have never seen a single red cent back in their pockets. That era, it seems, is finally coming to an end.
"Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them - without headaches or haggling," said US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in the DOT's press release. "Our new rule sets a new standard to require airlines to promptly provide cash refunds to their passengers."
In addition, the DOT is proposing several other rules that would greatly benefit air travelers. Some of these potential rules include banning family seating junk fees so parents and children can sit together at no extra charge, making passenger compensation and amenities mandatory so airlines will take care of travelers when flights are delayed or canceled, and expanding the rights for wheelchair-using passengers, so they can travel with dignity.
Here's the one damper on the good news: the new refund rule won't be immediately active. The government is giving airlines a little time to implement this change. But airlines won't be able to drag their heels forever, as they only have six months to implement the new automatic refund rule. That means the new standard should be universally active just in time for the 2024 winter holiday travel rush ... coincidence?
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