Airlines in the United States are now required to give passengers cash refunds if their flight is significantly delayed or canceled, even if that person does not explicitly ask for a refund.
The Department of Transportation says the final federal rule requiring that airlines dole out refunds - not vouchers - went into effect Monday. The major change is being implemented only a month before the start of what is likely to be a huge holiday travel season.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg made the announcement on X after he first presented the proposed rule back in April. “Today, our automatic refund rule goes into full effect,” Buttigieg posted. “Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them-without headaches or haggling.”
Does this include cancellations due to weather?
I’ve flown thousands of flights and the worst delay I experienced required me to get a hotel room, paid for by the airline, and getting on the earliest flight in the morning. It’s hard to read these comments and not think they are from folks who have never flown. Not once in the dozens of times my flight was delayed was I not put onto the next available fight without any incurred cost.
“It never happened to me personally so it must not be real” — this is the mindset that conservatives follow that leads to so much cruelty in the world
You must fly domestic?
Had a situation where an alliance partner got me to the long haul carrier late, missed the flight. The alliance partner (united) was responsible for rebooking-- offered me a downgrade in service class that same day and an added connection or next day on the original airline, class, and number of connections.
Note the “next day, maintain service” option was not coming with a hotel voucher. Work trip, they paid the hotel, but god forbid it was someone who didn’t work for a large mnc…
This was also due to weather so, “deal with it, because Jesus wanted it this way” prevailed in the contract of carriage.
Try flying Spirit—not everyone has money for a normal airline.
A flight today is more than the flight I paid for 3 months ago. But a step in the right direction I guess.
I’m not sure how the law will pan out because of this. While it is beneficial, and airlines are financially held accountable, being reimbursed the price you paid for your ticket will not be enough to get you on the next available flight to wherever you were going. Depending on when the flight is canceled.
You’re not guaranteed to get the next flight anyway. At least this way you’re at least getting your money, which airlines try to make you pay extra for just to get the right to ask for it.
You’re correct, but I don’t think that is what the law was trying to fix. I think it was trying to fix paying for a flight in cash, and when a flight is canceled being given a voucher (often for less) locking you into purchasing from that airline again to get any value out of your original cash.
At least with this step if you pay $200 for your flight initially, and your flight is canceled, you’re given your $200 back to by a replacement which may, that day, cost you $600, so its only costing you $400 cash instead of $600 cash which would have been the situation before. This is a step in the right direction.
I was under the impression that the law was already that airlines had to give 3x the ticket price if you were involuntarily canceled or bumped from a flight, which is why they offered to compensate people to volunteer to take other flights or a voucher instead.
They charge at current rate, why don’t they refund at it?
I guess the “current rate” for a canceled flight ticket would be $0…
I think @bitjunkie@lemmy.world is essentially referring to the cost of a replacement flight purchase the same day. The obvious answer is that action isn’t required by law and would be massively more expensive for airlines. Rates for regular fares would have to skyrocket to cover the costs, which would create a vicious circle.
Rates for regular fares would have to skyrocket to cover the costs
Why is that exactly? Does the airline face additional expenses when you book a flight the same day versus a month in advance?
The opposite. They can lose money when you book far in advance. They need the expensive close bookings (usually business travelers) to make the most of their money. So if the airlines are force to give away expensive profitable seats (expensive because they are in high demand), they’ll have to raise the rates on other earlier bookings to make up the difference.
I’m not saying I think they should make the fares the same for people who book last-minute, just that they should exempt people who have to rebook through no fault of their own from that. Like “lock in” the rate at the initial booking.
just that they should exempt people who have to rebook through no fault of their own from that.
I’m not sure I’m understanding you. I’m reading your post that a “flight booked for today” should be booked at the same rate that the person had if they book, lets say, 3 weeks prior. Is that what you’re saying?
Like “lock in” the rate at the initial booking.
If I’m understanding you, that means the person pays a much smaller rate for a “today” booking. That would mean the airline has to lose money on that seat if they could have sold it to a last minute business traveler at full “today” rate.
Had an international flight canceled, for two people it was $3200 originally. To replace the same flight last minute to costed $3700 per ticket. The airline canceled one leg used by a “secondary” company that they owned. American Airlines and American Eagle
This needs to be considered a temporary rule until we know who wins the election
For sure. Giving refunds because services have not been provided is really detrimental for profits! It’s unfair.
Until it goes to the supreme court as well.
Where “this” is applicable to literally everything.
I can’t wait to see what loopholes they come up with to wriggle out of this.
A ticket onto the plane is 10 dollars, but your seat is 200. We’re refunding the whole 10 dollars!
No need to apply a loophole if they just raise the fare rates to cover the losses.
If they could raise the fare rates higher, they’d have done that already.
Based on current rates, I feel like they are :(
Thanks, Biden!
Wow, there have only been commercial flights for like… barely a 100 years now
so glad i made “i don’t fly” a non-negotiable in my life
I don’t know if you noticed but your comment is getting down voted. Lemmy has spoken, time to reevaluate your life choices and join the flying public once again. One of us …
lol fuck literally everything about flying. i guess enjoy your delayed/canceled flights, luggage limits, luggage fees, lost/destroyed luggage, hourslong layovers, $10 beers, fucking disgusting tiny seats, the TSA, the parking, and whatever i left out, all of which is bullshit that i’ll never put up with again
Do you take a boat to go overseas?
421 ppm
if i ever had a reason that i just have to go overseas, then yes, it’ll be by boat
They put me on the list as well. It’s more of a blessing than a curse.
