Travelers and their baggage in a terminal at Los Angeles International Airport in August 2023.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
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Mario Tama/Getty Images
Travelers and their baggage in a terminal at Los Angeles International Airport in August 2023.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
WASHINGTON — In an effort to crack down on airways that cost passengers steep charges to test baggage and alter flights, the U.S. Department of Transportation has introduced new laws aimed toward expanding consumer protections.
One of the ultimate guidelines introduced Wednesday requires airways to show the full price of travel earlier than passengers pay for his or her tickets. The different will drive airways to offer immediate money refunds when flights are canceled or considerably modified.
“Passengers deserve to know upfront what costs they are facing and should get their money back when an airline owes them – without having to ask,” stated Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a press release asserting the brand new guidelines.
Surprise junk fees have change into a big and rising income for airways in recent times, in accordance with the DOT.
“Today’s announcements will require airlines to both provide passengers better information about costs before ticket purchase, and promptly provide cash refunds to passengers when they are owed — not only saving passengers time and money, but also preventing headaches,” Buttigieg stated.
The airline trade is unlikely to welcome the brand new guidelines. At a hearing on the proposed fee rule in March 2023, an trade lobbying group representing American, Delta and United stated it will be too tough for airways to reveal their fees extra clearly.
“The amount of unwanted and unneeded information forced upon passengers” by the brand new coverage would solely trigger “confusion and frustration,” warned Doug Mullen, the deputy common counsel at Airlines for America. “Very few, if any, need or want this information, and especially when they are initially trying to understand schedule and fare options.”
But the DOT insists its new rule will give customers the knowledge they should higher perceive the true prices of air journey. It would require airways to reveal all baggage, change, and cancellation charges, and to share that data with third-party reserving websites and journey brokers.
The regulation additionally prohibits bait-and-switch techniques, the DOT says, that disguise the true value of flights by promoting a low base fare that doesn’t embrace all necessary charges.