JetBlue and Alaska Airlines are the only US carriers that guarantee flight credit or vouchers during lengthy delays or cancellations, the DOT says.
The Biden administration announced plans Monday to propose a new rule that would require airlines to provide passengers cash compensation and cover the cost of meals, hotels, and flight rebooking in the case of controllable cancellations and delays.
Currently, there are no US laws or regulations requiring airlines to compensate passengers when their flights are delayed — unlike in Europe, where passengers are guaranteed cash compensation of up to 600 euros if their arrival is delayed by more than three hours.
The proposed regulations are a continuation of the department’s recent efforts to name and shame airlines over their lack of customer protections after a period of rampant flight cancellations and delays in 2022.
“The FAA and Department of Transportation are doing our part but airlines need to accept their fundamental responsibility to better serve passengers when they don’t,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said during the Monday afternoon announcement.
