The White House is out with a new effort aimed at tackling some of travelers’ peskiest recurring concerns: flight delays and cancellations. It’s the latest in a larger Biden administration effort to focus on pro-consumer policies ahead of the 2024 election.
Under a new rule, the Department of Transportation will consider, the federal government could require airlines to offer cash payments for long delays and mandate they provide more compensation for cancellations. Currently, no major airlines provide cash payments for passengers experiencing a controllable delay that pushes their trip more than three hours, according to the administration. That’s partly because they’re not required to by law. (Airlines must provide refunds for cancellations, but don’t have to do the same for delays.) Additionally, policies vary by airline when it comes to how vouchers and bookings for cancellations are handled.
The proposed rule is one of several consumer protection policies the White House has advanced recently. It follows an FDA proposal that enabled hearing aids to be sold over the counter, likely reducing their cost, and support for legislation introduced by Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse and Richard Blumenthal, which would limit hidden fees for hotels and ticket prices. Biden announced aspects of this push in his State of the Union address earlier this year in a bid to burnish the Democratic Party’s image ahead of 2024. Additionally, it echoes consumer protection regulations that already exist in Canada and Europe, where passengers have more defined rights than those in the US.
The White House is just beginning the rulemaking effort, meaning it could be months before any policy is finalized. But by making requirements stricter for airlines, the administration could pressure companies to improve their efficiency and standardize the treatment customers receive across airlines, forcing companies to subscribe to the same policies.
“This rule would fill a void,”…
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