The DOT Scraps a Proposed Rule to Compensate Travelers for Flight Delays

"Receiving compensation for flight delays and cancellations in the US has long been a major pain point for travelers-especially those accustomed to the legal protections granted to airline passengers in Europe and Canada. Under the Biden administration, the Department of Transportation (DOT) made it a priority to address this. But now, the DOT has officially abandoned a federal plan that would have helped ease the financial burden of lengthy flight delays for airline passengers in the US."

"If the proposed regulation had been put into effect, impacted passengers would receive between $200 and $775 in extra monetary compensation for flight disruptions caused by problems like airline short-staffing, mechanical problems with the aircraft, or the increasingly common computer system meltdown. It would also require airlines to cover extra costs that passengers incurred during the disruptions, including meals, hotels, and any additional transportation required."

"Compensation policies like these are commonplace in many other countries, especially in Europe, where the EU 261 regulation requires all airlines operating within the European Union to make similar payments to delayed travelers, while also covering extra costs. Right now, many US airlines do offer to cover travelers' meals, hotels, and transportation on a voluntary basis during lengthy delays or during a cancellation."

The U.S. Department of Transportation scrapped a 2023 rule that would have required airlines to pay passengers for delays and cancellations caused by airline-controlled issues. The rule would have required cash payments for delays of three hours or more and reimbursement of expenses such as meals, hotels, and additional transportation. Compensation levels would have ranged from $200 to $775 depending on delay length and situation. The proposal targeted disruptions from airline short-staffing, mechanical problems, and computer system failures. Many U.S. carriers currently provide voluntary accommodations during lengthy delays, but those practices are not legally required and could be discontinued without a federal rule.

Read at Conde Nast Traveler