What do airlines owe you for flight delays, cancellations? New DOT dashboard will show you.
canceled or delayed.
The U.S. Department of Transportation is creating a new interactive dashboard where travelers will be able to find “easy to-read, comparative summary information on the services or amenities that each of the large U.S. airlines provide when the cause of a cancelation or delay was due to circumstances within the airline’s control,” according to a letter Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg sent to all U.S. airlines Thursday.
Existing Transportation Department rules require airlines to offer customers refunds if their flights are canceled for any reason, but policies on delays can be opaque, even though the information is required to be part of federally mandated Customer Service Plans.
Help!:My return flight was canceled and now I’m stuck far from home. What do I do?
Flight delayed?:You may be eligible for compensation from your airline
“When passengers do experience cancelations and delays, they deserve clear and transparent information on the services that your airline will provide, to address the expenses and inconveniences resulting from these disruptions,” Buttigieg wrote.
The consumer dashboard is expected to be live on the department’s Aviation Consumer Protection website by Sept. 2, ahead of Labor Day weekend.
Nearly a quarter of domestic flights were delayed and just over 3% were canceled in the first half of this year, according to Secretary Buttigieg.
The Department of Transportation is currently seeking public comment on when airlines should be required to refund passengers whose flights are canceled or delayed.
air traffic control issues and other scenarios beyond airline control are handled differently, but refunds are still required to be offered for cancellations.
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