The Biden-Harris Administration has announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation has issued two final rules. The first requires airlines to promptly provide passengers with automatic, cash refunds when owed – for example when airlines cancel or significantly change their flights, significantly delay their checked bags, or fail to provide the ancillary services they purchased.
Secondly, airlines and ticket agents are required to tell consumers upfront what fees they charge for a first or second checked bag, a carry-on bag, and for cancelling or changing a reservation.
The US DOT says the rules will save consumers over half a billion dollars each year in unexpected baggage, change, and cancellation fees by requiring airlines to make these costs clear upfront. The rules are also designed to make it easy to get money back for cancelled or significantly changed flights, significantly delayed checked bags, and additional services not provided.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg explains the policies in this video.
