Last week marked what should be the beginning of a new era for travelers whose flights are canceled or delayed, or whose baggage is delayed or lost: Under new Federal rules, airlines are required to make quick refunds without waiting to be asked. The rules also apply to charges for things like non-working WiFi or being downgraded to a cheaper seat.
The rules were announced in April, but had to wait six months before becoming final. And, unlike EU rules that provide compensation for delays and cancelations even if passengers eventually reach their destination, the U.S. rules only provide compensation for such events if the passenger refuses the airline’s offer of rebooking.
That’s significant, because for the first-time, weather-related delays are eligible for refund; if a storm cancels or significantly delays your flight so you miss the wedding or the sailing of your cruise, you will now get a refund, rather than being left with credits to use at some other time.
The Department of Transportation’s list of “significant changes” other than cancelation that can trigger a refund includes
- A domestic itinerary’s departure or arrival is pushed back by three or more hours
- An international flight’s departure or arrival is pushed back six or more hours
- An itinerary is moved up by six-plus hours
- A traveler’s origin or destination is altered
- Situations where the traveler ends up with more connections
- When a traveler is downgraded to a lower class of service
- When a traveler with a disability is forced to travel through one or more connecting airports that differ from the original itinerary
- When a traveler with a disability must fly on an aircraft that is less accessible or accommodating than the one originally planned
Checked bag fees are eligible for refund if bags are not delivered within 12 hours of a domestic flight or 15 to 30 hours for international, but that will not be quite automatic; passengers will need to file a mishandled baggage report with the airline at the arrival airport.
Image: Nanashinodensyaku/Wikimedia Commons
