Playing Fair: New Consumer Protections for Airline Passengers
There’s no doubt about it, airline travel can be stressful. Thanks to a new federal law and rules issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation, airline passengers could have extra consumer protections.
Hassle-free refunds. In the past, airline passengers were forced to figure out how to obtain a refund by researching an airline’s website or waiting for hours on the phone with an airline’s customer service department. As of October 28, 2024, airline passengers will be entitled to an automatic refund for:
- Canceled or significantly changed flights (e.g., arrivals at destination airport delayed by three or more hours for domestic flights and six or more hours for international flights), regardless of the reason
- Significantly delayed baggage return
- Extra services (e.g., Wi-Fi, seat selection, or inflight entertainment) that were paid for but not provided
Airlines must issue refunds of the full amount of the ticket purchased within seven business days of refunds becoming due for credit card purchases and 20 days for other payment methods. Passengers who accept a ticket for a significantly delayed flight or are rebooked on a different flight to their destination will not receive refunds. The refunds must be in the form of cash or whatever original payment method was used to make the purchase (e.g., credit card or airline miles). Finally, airlines are not allowed to substitute other forms of compensation (e.g., vouchers or travel credits) unless a passenger affirmatively chooses to accept an alternate form of compensation.
Airline performance for flights in 2024
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, 2024 (year to date through June, percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number)
Protection against surprise fees. Many airlines advertise cheap “teaser” fares that don’t take into account additional fees — all of which can significantly increase the cost of a ticket. Airlines are required to disclose various ancillary fees upfront, such as charges for checked bags, carry-on bags, and changing or canceling a reservation. They must also provide a detailed explanation of each fee before a ticket can be purchased. The compliance period for this rule was scheduled to begin in 2025 but was temporarily blocked by a U.S. appeals court in August 2024.
Free family seating. Under a proposed rule, airlines will be prohibited from charging families an extra fee to guarantee a child will sit next to a parent or adult travel companion, assuming adjacent seating is available when the tickets are booked.
Visit the U.S. Department of Transportation’s website at transportation.gov/airconsumer for more information.