Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation (Department) announced a proposed rule for public comment, which if adopted, would significantly strengthen protections for consumers seeking refunds for airline tickets
./.
This proposal would codify the Department’s longstanding interpretation that a failure to provide refunds when a carrier cancels or significantly changes a flight to, from, or within the United States is an unfair practice. The Department is also proposing, for the first time, to define the terms significant change and cancellation.
The Department proposes that significant changes to a flight would include:
Changes that affect the departure and/or arrival times by three hours or more for a domestic flight or six hours or more for an international flight;
Changes to the departure or arrival airport;
Changes that increase the number of connections in the itinerary; and
Changes to the type of aircraft flown if it causes a significant downgrade in the air travel experience or amenities available onboard the flight.
Under the proposal, a canceled flight would mean a flight that was published in a carrier’s Computer Reservation System at the time of the ticket sale but was not operated by the carrier.
)
