It's About Time Airline Refund Rules Changed

30.04.2024 - 18:47 / travelpulse.com / North America / Rich Thomaselli

Wednesday was a big day for the Biden administration in Washington.

An aid package worth hundreds of millions of dollars was approved for Ukraine, Taiwan and the Middle East. TikTok was banned in the U.S., and its Chinese owners were told to divest themselves of the company and sell it if they want it to continue.

Oh, and the Department of Transportation issued a new set of rules for the airlines to make refunds more timely and eliminate hidden fees.

Although, in a classic sign of Washington politics, does anybody else find it ironic that the Biden administration said it would pass the bills, but it would continue to use TikTok as an election platform until it is disbanded and sold? But I digress.

As for the airline industry, it’s about time. The haphazard refund policy has been a bane to the existence of aviation. If your flight is delayed or canceled, you may get a refund, and perhaps you won’t. But even if you do, it takes forever for it to come.

The airlines, like any other business, expect payment the second you book a flight, but it takes weeks and sometimes months for them to refund the money you spend on a credit card. Again, I digress.

The new airline rules from the Department of Transportation say that U.S. carriers must provide “automatic cash refunds” within days of a flight being delayed significantly or outright canceled.

The DOT defines a significant delay as a plane that takes off at least three hours after the scheduled departure time for domestic flights and six hours for international service. Now, the refund policy will be more uniform across all airlines.

The new rules also allow impacted passengers to reject the travel credits or alternative flights offered by airlines in the case of a delay. Who the heck wants a voucher for a future flight when 90 percent of passengers are booking flights at a very defined time?

As for baggage fees and refunds, the DOT now gives carriers 12 hours to return checked baggage to customers on domestic flights and 30 for international service. Otherwise, the impacted travelers will be eligible for a refund.

It’s one less thing for consumers to worry about.

Perhaps this will instill more confidence in the flying public. Maybe they will be more apt to fly knowing that they will get their money back if something goes wrong, such as a delay, cancellation, or baggage problem. As we all know, this is not the time to waste hard-earned money on a flight.

All fees must be listed when travelers see the price and schedule. The DOT estimates the new rules will save air travelers more than $500 million annually.

It’s a start. And it’s about time.

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