United States President Joe Biden on Monday announced new reforms for the American airline industry which he says will “make air travel better for all Americans.”
In an announcement on new reforms for the transportation sector, President Biden said his administration intends to put forward a rule that will require all airlines in the United States to compensate passengers for the cost of feeding, accommodation, transportation, and rebooking fees in situations where the airlines are responsible for any canceled or delayed flights.
According to the President, this edict should be put forward before the end of the year.
“The airline industry is a key part of our economy, and they’ve been critical partners in several important initiatives from requiring employees to get COVID vaccines and addressing the supply chain problems over the last couple of years,” President Biden said.
“But I know how frustrated many of you are with the service you get from your U.S. airlines.”
“A year ago, almost no major airline guaranteed any compensation beyond the ticket price if they caused a delay. The delay was their fault. No reimbursement for a hotel after a canceled flight or a meal after a delayed flight. But then, we challenged them to do better.”
“Later this year,” he continued, “my administration will propose a historic, new rule that will make it mandatory, not voluntary, but mandatory, for all U.S. airlines to compensate you with meals, hotels, taxis, rideshares, rebooking, food, fees in cash, miles, and travel vouchers whenever they’re the ones to blame for the cancellation and delay, and that’s all on top of refunding the cost of your ticket.”
The president also announced the launch of a new website for the US Transportation Department, flightsright.gov, where passengers can compare the reimbursement policies of various airlines.
“I hope and I expect the Department of Transportation to move as quickly as it can to put this new rule in place,” Biden said.
“It matters. I know these things may not matter to the very wealthy, but they matter to most middle-class families and people struggling to get the cost of — in the first place to get in that airline [sic].”
Previously, the president had directed the Department of Transportation to find ways to lower transportation costs for families, including by cracking down on excess booking fees, to improve the transportation experience for Americans.
