It’s a good day for travelers. This week, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg announced that airlines now have to refund flyers for delayed or canceled flights in cash. Customers, he noted, don’t even have to ask for their money back to get the green.
“Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them—without headaches or haggling,” he tweeted. “Today, our automatic refund rule goes into full effect. Airlines are required to provide prompt cash refunds without passengers having to ask.”
The new rule, Buttigieg noted, applies to flights that are “canceled or significantly changed.” The refund must go into effect if a traveler does not accept “the significantly changed flight, rebooking on an alternative flight, or alternative compensation.”
On top of that, Buttigieg tweeted, “passengers who have filed a mishandled baggage report are entitled to a refund of their checked bag fee if the bag is not delivered within the applicable timeframe after arrival.” That timeframe is within 12 hours a domestic flight arriving at the gate, or between 15 and 30 hours for international flights.
Even more, travelers “are entitled to a refund” for WiFi, seat selection, inflight entertainment, or other extras if the airline does not provide the service.
What to Know About the New Rules
The new rules were announced back in April, but took several months to go into effect. At the time, the Department of Transportation noted that, under the new rule, airlines must issue automatic refunds within seven days for credit cards and 20 days for other payment methods.
Those refunds, which must include taxes and fees must be made in cash or to the original formal of payment. That means that airlines may not substitute vouchers, travel credits, or other forms of compensation unless the passenger OKs accepts as much.
Surprise fees were also on the chopping block with the new rules. Now, airlines are required to disclose additional fees upfront and explain fees before booking. They’re also instructed to share that information with third party booking sites.
Additionally, consumers can now be assured that seats on flights are guaranteed with a ticket; travels don’t have to shell out extra cash to pick a specific seat. Discount bait-and-switch tactics, which advertise a low fare without disclosing fees, are now prohibited as well.
The post You Can Finally Get Your Money Back When Airlines Cancel Your Flight appeared first on VICE.
The post You Can Finally Get Your Money Back When Airlines Cancel Your Flight appeared first on VICE.
