The White House said the expanded website will show that only one airline guarantees frequent flyer miles, and two airlines will guarantee travel credits or vouchers as compensation if travelers experience significant delays or cancellations due to reasons such as mechanical failure. . Zero Airlines guarantees cash compensation for preventable delays and cancellations.
Biden and Boutique will officially announce the new venture during an appearance at the White House on Monday. The White House noted that three airlines — Alaska Airlines, Frontier Airlines and American Airlines — announced commitments to offer free family seats after adding family seat fees as part of an attack on “junk fares” in the union this year.
“When an airline causes a flight cancellation or delay, the passenger should not pay the fare,” Buttigieg said in a statement. “This provision would, for the first time in US history, require airlines to compensate passengers and cover expenses such as meals, hotels and rebooking in cases of flight cancellations or significant delays.”
Airlines for America, the trade association representing America’s major airlines, said, “We look forward to working with the Administration to ensure that U.S. airspace remains the safest in the world while supporting robust market competition that provides transparency and greater choice for consumers.”
They also noted that most of the canceled flights between August and February last year, about two-thirds, were due to weather and air traffic control issues that airlines were not responsible for.
Background: The announcement is another push by the White House to advance the summer travel season, which is forecast to exceed pre-pandemic travel levels in 2019.
Late last year, Southwest Airlines’ holiday meltdown left tens of thousands of travelers stranded and prompted calls from boutique geeks and lawmakers to make travelers whole. Southwest responded by offering rewards points and spending millions on hotels and other expenses for stranded passengers for days, even as the Senate trade leader. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) Urges airlines to publicly report how many customers applied for refunds for ancillary costs but were denied.
No federal law is required Airlines to compensate passengers for flight delays. If a flight is cancelled, a passenger can opt for a refund.
