This week marks a significant victory for airline passengers with the unveiling of a new law by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Wednesday, April 24th. This law mandates airlines to offer appropriate refunds for flights that are delayed or canceled.
Passengers experiencing substantial flight delays or cancellations will automatically receive the cash refunds in question.
How do I know if I qualify for a refund on my flight?
Another triumph for frequent flyers in the United States: airlines will no longer dictate the definition of a “significant delay.” Instead, the forthcoming law from the Department of Transportation establishes it as a delay exceeding 3 hours for domestic flights and 6 hours for international flights.
Refunds will extend to tickets bought through third-party channels like travel agents or specialized websites. This means even if you didn’t directly purchase your ticket from the airline, you’re still eligible for compensation in case of flight cancellation or significant changes.
As per the Department of Transportation (DOT), all passengers will now have a legal right to a refund if they initially decline alternative travel arrangements or travel credits as compensation.
Furthermore, the refunds will encompass paid services that were not provided during the flight, such as Wi-Fi, seat selection, or in-flight entertainment. Therefore, if you availed of any of these services and didn’t receive them, these new regulations stipulate that you should receive proper refunds.
How do I get a refund for a delayed or canceled flight?
The Department of Transportation’s new regulations mandate that airlines must provide refunds within seven days, utilizing the same payment method employed for ticket purchase (cash, credit card, or miles), unless mutually agreed upon otherwise by the passenger. This implies that issuing refunds in the form of vouchers or airline credit will be prohibited unless explicitly chosen by the passenger instead of a refund.
Similarly, refunds must be provided for any lost baggage that is not delivered within 12 hours of reaching the destination.
With the new laws currently being rolled out, airlines have a six-month window to ensure compliance. Consequently, it might not be immediately apparent or accessible for some airlines on how to obtain cash refunds at this juncture.
Nevertheless, you can always approach an airline representative at the gate and express your intention to request a cash refund, as it is now your legal entitlement as a traveler in the United States.
When do these new airline laws take effect?
The Department of Transportation stated that all airlines operating in the United States will have six months to comply with the new rules, which means that they will be in full effect before the end of the year!