Washington, D.C. — Today, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Rick Larsen (D-WA) and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Aviation Steve Cohen (D-TN) provided the following statements after the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) issued a final rule requiring that airlines issue passengers a prompt automatic cash refund for canceled and significantly delayed flights.
“Airline passengers deserve compensation for cancelled or significantly delayed flights and transparency when it comes to junk fees,” Ranking Member Larsen said. “Today’s new rules will deliver both, putting money back in consumers’ pockets by streamlining the refund process and requiring airlines to be upfront about ticket prices so passengers can choose the flight that is best for them. The bipartisan House-passed FAA reauthorization builds on these important consumer protections, and I continue to work with my Senate colleagues to get a final version of this critical legislation to the President’s desk and signed into law.”
“These passenger protections are long overdue," Ranking Member Cohen said. "When airlines are responsible for flight delays or cancellations, or do not provide the services that their customers pay for, passengers should be made whole, not tied to airline vouchers or travel credits. I have also heard from many travelers about their frustrations with hidden fees for checked bags, seat assignments, and flight change and cancellation fees that far exceed the costs to provide these services. I’m pleased that the Department of Transportation has implemented many of the protections in my Cash Refunds for Flight Cancellations Act and Forbidding Airlines from Imposing Ridiculous (FAIR) Fees Act.”
For more information about the final rules, click here.