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With the current chaos affecting air travel lately, have you ever wondered which airline would be the “safest” to book, based on the benefits they offer in the event of a delay or cancellation? Soon, the US government will launch an online platform allowing Americans to do just that and make more informed decisions when planning a trip.
As the world reopened after Covid and millions flocked to airports, particularly after the US dropped the controversial inbound testing requirement, industry operators finally realized, perhaps Being a little too late, they were unprepared to deal with pent-up travel demand amid a crippling labor shortage and other operational issues.
As a result, throughout the summer, thousands of flights were disrupted or failed to take off as scheduled, with some carriers even blatantly refusing customer refunds. Now the government is finally stepping in:
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After being personally affected by the wave of cancellations that is holding back the aviation sector’s recovery, US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has decided to take matters into his own hands and challenged airlines on their behavior. According to Buttigieg himself, this wave of flight cancellations is “unacceptable” and carriers should take responsibility.
Reuters reports that the Transportation Secretary has sent a letter of reprimand to airline executives, from those at the regional level to the top of the chain, warning that the US government is considering a new set of laws that would “expand the rights of airline passengers.” Essentially, Buttigieg wants travelers to be able to access:
- Clear information regarding an airline’s flight cancellation policies
- Food vouchers when flights are delayed 3 hours or more
- Accommodation when staying at the airport overnight due to airline-controlled delays
If such a law were to be implemented, it would be a landmark event in American aviation history. Currently, US carriers are not required to provide passengers with free meals or hotel accommodations when they cannot meet their own schedule. Although they are not legally required to do so, the majority of them offer compensation out of simple decency.
This does not change the fact that it is not a right and therefore can be denied at the discretion of an airline. It’s a scary thought, and Buttigieg agrees air passengers urgently need more protection. This year, around 24% of flights operated by US carriers have been delayed, raising fears that airlines may eventually stop honoring their part of the deal.
An agreement that does not exist on paper, by the way. Additionally, the Transportation Secretary confirmed that the U.S. government is launching a new dashboard on September 2, just before Labor Day weekend, allowing Americans to check exactly how each carrier plans to reimburse transportation costs. cancellation in the worst case:
As Buttigieg shared, the “interactive” dashboard would compile “easy-to-read” comparative information about the services each major US airline provides in the event of a flight delay or cancellation on a single site in line. He did not share in detail how the information will be displayed, or how exactly users can go about viewing it.
All we know so far is that it will be based on “airline customer service plans”, since Buttigieg specifically told CEOs in his letter that this was their opportunity to ensure that their customer service plan “guarantees adequate facilities and services” to help passengers through inconveniences. . Interestingly, as far as we are concerned, this is the first initiative of its kind by the government.
Previously, airlines could operate without the watchful eye of Washington, though their current underperformance has led to increased scrutiny. The fact that the Transport Secretary is actively defending passenger rights, as well as the launch of a promising comparative scoreboard, are two indications that the government is siding with customers this time around.
It remains to be seen whether the novelty will live up to expectations and actually prove useful over time. This is the first we’ve heard of a national government collecting data to help citizens plan their trips, and certainly an unusual move for the Department of Transport. North of the border, Ottawa also had a few tricks up its sleeve.
Recently, the Canadian government drafted a law requiring airlines to reimburse passengers for cancellations, including those outside their control, after Canada was criticized for being, at the time, the epicenter from the chaos of summer travel. Of course, Washington hasn’t gone that far yet, but it’s certainly getting closer to a poorly regulated market.
Finally, Buttigieg is crafting other rules that would require carriers to reimburse travelers when their luggage is delayed or lost, and prohibit them from charging extra fees when families ask to sit together on planes. Besides the interactive dashboard, coming in September, the remaining proposals are just that: proposals.
We will keep you posted once new information is shared by the Department of Transportation.
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This article originally appeared on Travel Off Path. For the latest breaking news that will affect your upcoming trip, please visit: Traveloffpath.com
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