Automatic refund for delayed or canceled flights: Who qualifies and how does it work?
The Department of Transportation has announced a new measure for passengers to be able to obtain automatic refunds for delayed or canceled flights.
The United States Department of Transportation has announced the implementation of a new measure for passengers to obtain automatic refunds for delayed or canceled flights, providing a solution to one of the most common complaints among travelers.
Currently, passengers can request a refund on their own. However, the process is usually quite tedious, so in many cases affected people tend to give up before getting their money back. According to department officials, the new measure will take effect in October of this year.
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Automatic refund for delayed or canceled flights: Who qualifies and how does it work?
The new rule requires airlines to immediately refund customers who suffer significant flight cancellations or delays. The refund includes the price of the ticket plus fees imposed by the airline itself, in addition to taxes and government fees.
The guideline refers to a delay of at least three hours for a domestic flight and six hours for an international flight. The rule also covers flight changes, such as a new arrival or departure airport and the addition of connections. Delays in checked baggage also fall into the automatic refund, as long as the traveler does not obtain their suitcases within 12 hours after arrival on a domestic flight and 15 to 30 hours on international flights.
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More passenger protection
Nowadays, when a flight is canceled or delayed, airlines offer compensation; Therefore, the measure emphasizes that the automatic refund will be offered as long as passengers have not accepted this type of payment.
Regarding the refund period, the rule provides a period of seven business days for customers who purchased their tickets with a credit card and up to 20 days for those who used another payment method.
In addition to the automatic refund, the mandate will also oblige airlines to show all fares in the ticket advertisement, including the infamous “junk fares” or “surprise fares.” In this way, it is intended that customers obtain greater transparency when making their purchase.