US Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood, has announced a proposal that would require more accountability from air carriers, including increased compensation for bumped passengers, full disclosure of baggage fees and transparent price advertising.
Under the rule, the maximum compensation for passengers involuntarily bumped from flights would rise from the limits of US$400 and US$800 to US$650 and
US$1 300.
Eligible compensation amounts depend on the length of the delay from the original scheduled arrival time, with a wider window allotted for international flights.
The rule also calls for more thorough disclosure of fees and advertising that reflects an airline ticket's full price.
The rule would require baggage fees to be prominently displayed and fully disclosed, and passengers would be eligible for refunds of those fees when bags were not delivered on time.
Passengers would be allowed to make and cancel reservations within 24 hours without penalty under the rule. Carriers would be able to decide whether to provide refunds for passengers who cancelled within that timeframe or to allow customers to make and hold reservations for 24 hours without payment, according to the Department of Transportation (DOT) officials.
The proposal also expands upon the tarmac delay rule that went into effect in April. Foreign airlines operating at US airports would be required to develop contingency plans for tarmac delays and to publish them on their websites. The rule also would be expanded to small and non-hub airports for US carriers.
LaHood anticipates implementing the rule in the (northern hemisphere) autumn, following a 60-day public comment period and review of the feedback.
