The Biden administration is planning on issuing new regulations that would provide more benefits to consumers who have to deal with airlines delaying or canceling flights. The new regulations are coming following the chaos that ensued over the holiday season at the end of 2022 which left many passengers stranded during the holidays.
The White House and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg are going to be announcing on Monday the new process that will be followed to establish the new rules that airlines will need to abide by in order to mitigate controllable airline cancellations and delays. The regulations are also going to include an enhanced dashboard on FlightsRights.gov which is going to specifically note which amenities each airline provides in cases of cancellations and delays.
Possible compensations could include refunds, hotel accommodation, transportation, food, and meal vouchers as well as other customer service options.
Last year’s disruptions included more than 2,600 Southwest Airlines flights being canceled within one single day in December. The total number of flights canceled that day was 3,000. Many airlines were slammed for not providing more accommodations for travelers.
The federal government also received criticism for the chaos that ensued, with Buttigieg being slammed for the way he handled the travel industry problems. Buttigieg also received criticism following the rain derailments in 2023 and his approach to the situation.
The Biden administration is also looking to increase transparency regarding flight costs through other regulations that it has been moving forward. These are all part of a general attempt to further regulate the travel industry.
