DOT wants airlines to pay you when flights are delayed or canceled

There’s a new effort to crack down on the fees you pay when you fly.

The Department of Transportation also wants to make sure the airlines reimburse you when there’s a problem.

Channel 2′s Blair Miller spoke with the transportation secretary about these changes, which are all part of an effort to force the airlines to be more transparent.

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Many passengers say it is long overdue.

Summer travel is heading for levels above what we saw before the pandemic and passengers will notice the fees.

Everything from family seating to what you pay when you’re onboard has risen.

“We’ve gotten tens of thousands of complaints this year,” Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said.

He said many of those airline complaints have come through a website that the DOT set up for passengers to visit so they’re aware of their rights when there’s a problem with their flight.

Now the administration is considering going a step further this summer - to force the airlines to reimburse you, beyond just the cost of the flight you paid for if it’s canceled or delayed.

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“They owe you more than just a refund on your ticket, they need to show some regard for your time. So we’re pushing that now,” Buttigieg said.

That’s on top of the fees people are paying for seats, bags, and beyond.

The White House wants more transparency in those fees and the secretary says they’re expanding the fees to make sure passengers know exactly what they’re paying for upfront.

“We’re getting closer to finalizing rules around things like fees, transparency around baggage and wi-fi fees, that kind of thing,” Buttigieg said.

“It’s going to help people fly more and don’t have to worry about that because that can happen any time and anywhere,” traveler Joann Harris said.

The airlines are aware of the concerns about delays and cancellations, but they say a majority of those happen because of bad weather and they can’t control that.

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