Big US Dept of Transportation News on FULL REFUNDS for Canceled & Significantly Delayed Flights
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Please note this is from the Department of Transportation, not the State Department. I was so excited about the news that I messed up who it came from.
Is this rule only for US-based airlines? I usually fly Aerlingus to and from Europe as they are the cheapest. Never had a problem with them, but just for a heads up.
This is great news. EU schengen countries claim to do same, but seems untrue, they direct you to submit claim only to the country you're traveling from - not EU site .. very complicated process where they never reply, it would be better if claims were submitted and fulfilled to the airline itself
@@DrVVVinK if the flight departs or lands in the US they have to pay
@mangodiet801 yeah. Hopefully things work smoother in the US
@@DrVVVinK Glad you never had an issue with Aer Lingus ... My direct flight back to LAX in 2022 was cancelled due to mechanical issues and they were offering me such crappy options for getting back home that I was forced to buy a last-minute ticket home via Delta. They did put me up in a hotel for the night so I'll give them that ... Six months later, they sent me a check for $600 (EU policy) but I never fully recouped the losses from that cancelled flight and would never book with them again if I can avoid it. This new law would have been a blessing in that situation.
I'm glad this rule change is happening. People shouldn't have to deal with a bunch of red tape to get their money back.
Thanks for the info
You are literally begging for more red tape by having government involved in this at all.
@@Originalman144 I'll take their help. pretty sick of private companies that tell you to FO as soon as they get their hands on your money. Greedy capitalist pigs created this
@@Originalman144 because letting airlines run amok without anyone reining them in has clearly worked out well for the US.
@@pineappleskin They aren’t running amok though. You as the consumer (along with millions of other consumers) keep them from “running amok” as you can choose what airline to fly. There is still more flying choice in the US than Europe for example unless you are in London or Paris. And I’ve been to 22 EU countries. Whether it’s American Airlines or mice infested Frankfurt Airport on Lufthansa, no airline is truly running amok. If anything we need less regulation and more competition to get better services and product offerings. No one is competing anymore, not in the US and not in Europe. Consumers are begging government to create the experience airlines should be competing to offer.
Hopefully, this will discourage the airlines from overbooking!
It might make them more generous if they have to bump you.
@@davidlazarus67 I remember during the Christmas meltdown one of the airlines was offering an INSANE bump package. I can't remember all the details but you were getting a HUGE travel voucher, a big food voucher, and maybe a hotel? It was so a family could fly together. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
@@MakeItWithCalvin They bumped up the compensation after the police attack on a doctor on a United flight. Personally I am not in a panic to get anywhere so am always willing to consider being bumped if the compensation is sufficient.
That bird is crazy! :)
I had to cut out about 3 minutes because it went CRAZY for a bit
@@woltersworld My goodness! If you ever make a bloopers addition that would definitely make the cut. It's so funny. I'm shocked you didn't chase after it! Love your videos!
I'm not sure if I've ever heard a bird that psychotic starting at 2:47 before lol
😂
This is better coverage than major news organizations.
Thanks 😀
That bar is so profoundly low. Media is too busy destroying the country to cover news that effects the little people.
Lol, that crow 🐦⬛ got excited he’s getting a refund
Seriously 😀 most excited crow ever
😂
"Not a voucher, not free stays or whatever." I am over the moon about this news. I am still salty about my dealings with United who would offer me nothing but miles toward a future flight which is useless to me since I will never fly with them again. I had to take it up with DOT & let me tell you, if there is anyone more fed up with the airlines' shenanigans than we are, it's the folks at DOT. I wouldn't be surprised if this legislation passed not bc it's in the best interest of the people but bc my poor DOT agent had a breakdown.
They specifically were talking about the miles thing on my call with them
DOT should be abolished actually. They have 60,000 employees and drain $87 billion in taxpayer funds every single year and this is the first time you have probably heard of them doing anything newsworthy. Airfare cost will go up because of this and flyers lose once again.
Bird in the background was SWA representative 🐥
I was thinking the same thing. My joke about if you really get your bag i had to redo because the bird went insane when i made the joke the first time
@@woltersworld that’s funny, glad to see you are traveling
The bird was saying "It's a weather delay, no refund for you". Tired of this line for mechanical, staffing, and IT system issues on SWA.
This is wonderful! I hope this forces US airlines with extremely tight connection times (ie American) to rethink their schedules as well. There's no reason why fights should have connection times less than 45 minutes, it only adds to the chaos.
Especially if you are going through San Francisco or Denver. SFO because of delays and Denver because even if it's on time 45 minutes might not be enough time to get to your other gate unless you full on sprint.
Agree! Especially going through DFW from SNA to SAT. I now fly from SNA into PHX to SAT. PHX is easier to move gate to gate than that of DFW when connection time is tight.
Yeah, I've long since learned never to book a flight with less than an hour connection time. If it's a busy airport and/or an international flight, make that 2 hours. Since I've done that, I haven't had an issue with running across the airport to catch a connection (which I've had to do in the past - with my 70 year old parents in tow, no less).
L O L that bird sounded really pissed in the background
Glad to hear something positive that helps us out, but I fear the airlines will respond by bumping up our prices to cover their new costs from this.
I imagine the cost will be passed on to passengers. Sadly
What are the airlines supposed to do? The majority of delays are caused by ATC (which is ran by the DOT) and weather. 2 things the airlines have no control over yet cause the majority of problems. Flights to Florida are regularly delayed 4hrs because ATC doesn’t have enough staffing, but now the airlines are held responsible. You bet costs are gonna go up
That, or I fear that plane safety may be further deprioritized in an effort to keep more flights out of that significant delay window... which is a very scary thought but not far fetched at all
This new rule / law is not positive at all. Prices will definitely go up since airlines now have to take on artificially increased risk because of government overreach.
@@NorthTexan19 Exactly.
Great overview, Mark! Hope all is well on your end 😃
thanks!
Thanks a bunch for explaining rules I read about today!
Happy to help!
Howdy Lori!!
Canada needs to do this, too.
That crow was fucking excited LOL
It was going crazy. I had to cut out a bunch of the video.
I hope this doesn’t make airlines take risks on a borderline issue that would normally cause a cancellation.
I was thinking this too, especially weather
Not going to land for a medical emergency either.
@@andrea9674 I hadn’t thought of that. I wonder if there are provisions for that.
Yes I heard about this. I think that this will make travel way more enjoyable for everyone!!! Thankful for this!!!!
It's about time. Thank you!😊❤
About time! Thanks for the great news + video!
You bet!
Oooh, good info to know. Thanks for spreading the word!
These changes look great. I really hope Canada adopts something similar. (If we haven’t already).
interesting. I just came back yesterday from Europe and my flight back into the USA from Amsterdam was delayed for over 3 hours.
You are entitled to compensation per EU law! :) Search "EU flight delay compensation".
Thanks, this is great info!
In Canada the government implemented rules for long delays and cancellations, but they left so many loopholes that the airlines don't pay or take months to pay. It's very frustrating.
Fingers crossed
Thank you for mentioning Canada. I'm flying out of Windsor soon to go to Paris. So this is relevant to me. I'm from the US, but driving over the border and flying from Canada is significantly cheaper for me.
From my experience with Air Canada, the compensation (if there is one) is more generous if your final destination is outside North America. If you are flying between 2 cities in North America, the compensation (if there is one) is always just a voucher. I agree the Canadian rules need to change hopefully on par with the EU one.
They need to regulate re-scheduling too. I kept having Delta reschedule my flights, including a reschedule to a 47-minute layover to the last flight of the day. That isn't going to work for a couple of older folks, and the inbound flight was only on time 68% of the time. I wish they would make some rules about that. The last reschedule moved my arrival time to something very late in our time zone. I'd change it again, but it is a lot of trouble and might make things worse. The frustrating part is (a) as a consumer I have no way to buy an itinerary that works for me that isn't subject to the whims of the airline and (b) I wouldn't mind buying tickets on a search criteria: I want to leave within this window, arrive within that window, no more than 2 stops, specified class of service, adjacent seat with my wife, no layovers less than 90 minutes, maybe 60 if they put money on being on time. I don't really care where the flights stop, or even how often they change it, as long as they meet the criteria with a reasonable degree of accountability. I also had American reschedule a nonstop BUF-CLT to a BUF-DCA-CLT with a 40-minute layover to the last flight of the day. That was so likely to result in being stuck in DC that I opted for the nonstop the next morning and did a scheduled overnight in Buffalo. I was sure that, if we ended up with an overnight in DC, they would find some sort of excuse that made it not-their-fault so they could get out of paying for a hotel.
Super helpful information! Thank you! Here’s hoping it’s a smooth rollout…
American Airlines just charged me a checked bag fee of $75 FOR EACH LEG of the flight. I was bringing some knives and liquids back from Finland and had to make a choice between shipping them or paying a checked bag fee. When I went online, they said it was a $75 fee, so I figured it was worth it. When I got to the counter, they said it was $150, but too late to do anything else.
Ouch!!!
Everyone everyone knows when you go to the counter at the airport It cost more than doing it online.
Shipping them from Finland would have cost you more.
@JuanJohn013 the website said it was $5 less online, but there was no way to purchase it online.
Good Information! Thanks!
All I heard is: Airlines to raise base fares to cover the related costs. Yippie!
That crow in the background. Lol
LOL, the plot twist of these rules not kicking in until Fall. Oh well, at least it will be in effect by the holidays.
Yeah, maybe. It might only be applicable on ticket bought after the start date.
😂 it was one of the first questions we asked the transportation secretary.
@Caderic that is a GREAT question. I dont know
Thanks for the info. It was awesome talking with you in Colmar France in 2022. Funny how I just ran into you out there.
Great news! I have not been online for awhile- you've lost weight- you look good!!
Thank You for the update Mark :) !!!
My Mum's old suitcase was lost for 4 days last year when we flew from Manchester to Lamezia Terme. Luckily she was reunited with it in the end.
Hey Mark. You are glowing! Looking super healthy and happy. :)
Great info - Thanks
Once again, great information. THIS is why we subscribe!
You're looking great, Mark! Thanks for the update.
Im trying. Down about 80 from my "high" need to lose another 50
Great content as always. Thanks
Great news. Hopefully other countries follow suit as I don't do much travelling to the USA
Hey Mark, this is wonderful news
their lawyers are searching for loopholes as I type this....
You are absolutely correct!
I have no doubt 😅
Hopefully the lawyers find all the loopholes or be prepared to pay much more for that flight ticket. And don't complain either. You want the airlines to take on more risk, guess who has to pay to cover that risk?
Hi Mark! Thanks for the awesome videos. I love your videos because you anyways support the consumer/traveler. Cheers!
It's about time!! Thanks for the information!
Any time!
These are great. It's nice having a way to get your money back.
Thank you!
Yay! This year I’ve seen more cancelled flights than before. I’ve been the victim of cancelled flights on 4 different occasions. Within 1 year
Yay I am so excited that you made a video on this! You are my favorite travel KZheadr you're always so helpful and so thorough! Your personality and your beautiful family are just wonderful! Thank you so much for making this video because you added some new information on it that I was wondering about that I didn't see another videos! This is very helpful and I have shared it with a few of my family members!
They need to refund the current going rate at the time. Not the sale price, you bought it for
Thanks for this information, I would never have discovered it on my own! 😁
Thanks for the breakdown
Mark, you are looking good. Keep up the good work!
Love all the birds vid
4:10 I wonder if that would have mattered for my last flight. I spent extra to travel at reasonable hours, then a few weeks out the airline said, “Your departure time has changed” and they’d merged my flight into the early-departure and midnight-return flights I was trying to avoid.
Definitely wish I had this last year when I was delayed 28 hours in North Carolina
Very interesting!
This just happened to us in January. Plane’s frozen waterline issues (deemed weather-related) got our flight to Nasssu bumped to the next day. An already short trip became even shorter. We got our flights reimbursed but were still out the cost of the resort which was more than the flights.
Great news!
This is such great news!!!
Looking good, Buddy! Eating well, working out it appears 🧐🧐
Im trying. Still a ways to go but doing my best. Thanks for noticing
I wonder how this will affect direct flights versus one's with a lay over. Edit: I think I see one glaring problem. If you're stuck somewhere due to your flight getting canceled or a massive delay the cost of a last minute ticket could be hundreds if not even over $1,000 dollars in price due to booking in advance usually being much cheaper. It's already bad enough if you had to miss work but now you might be stuck somewhere you don't live without paying a ton of money. Also if the layover gets canceled after you get to the layover do you only get a partial refund? I got a lot of questions about this change.
Good news!
THIS. IS. AWESOME. 👏
This is amazing news!!
It’s about time!!!
Yay, thanks for sharing this announcement! I was able to get a good chunk of change from a cancelled flight to Europe in December because of the EU rules. It's definitely nice to have that safeguard.
this is great news!
What if your luggage decided to spend the weekend in Italy but you were going from DFW to ROC? That happened to me before back in 2002, went DFW to ORD to ROC, but my luggage went from DFW to MXP. Don't know if it stopped anywhere else along the way. Took them 4 days to get it back to me. Of course I charged them for clothing and other incidentals and got 10000 freq flyer miles out of them. Guessing this is the over 30 hours delay price.
That's about time!!
Long overdue!!! 🎉🎉🎉
Mark, don’t forget flights originating in the EU to the US still have EU261 protection!
And have better protection and compensation!
Also reminder if you postponed or cancelled on your own, not by changes by airlines, you don’t get a refund. It only applies if you flight get significantly get delayed or cancelled.
This is awesome! I feel like airlines have gotten a little bit too big for their britches it’s about time they were held accountable. Especially when they have such strict rules for their passengers.
A full refund dosent help to book another airline. Not full refund for a 3 hour delay
Also, you mentioned that the airlines can choose when to join the new program, are all airlines required to join the new program by a “no later than” date?
Dr. Wolter is looking slim 💪🏿
This is a pleasant surprise
yep
Cool I have a friend who lives in Australia and comes back several times a year so I shared this with her.
Thank you
By the way. Love the name of your channel
So here’s my 2 cents. For those who may have gotten a really good deal, they would have been better off not getting a refund, but just rebooked.
That bird in the background😂
He was annoying to say the least
Dude, keep up the great work on the weight loss
🐦 squawking in the background 😂😂
The birds wanted to make sure their thoughts were also expressed!! 😂
He was an unhappy bird
I’m worried about unintended consequences, like increased prices. Hopefully not compromised safety.
Prices are finna go through the roof!
About time.
How far out can I book a flight? I want to go from lax to Bilbao for the Europa league final in 5/2025. I don’t want to book it too early but generally because it’s a major event what is the “best time to book”? Thanks for the help!
I would like to know how to cancel a cruise and get my money back. Recently Silversea had sickness breakout and my health would not permit being exposed. Any ideas?
So glad this is finally happening. Got stuck in LAX not too long ago and Delta wouldn't help at all saying since its weather they don't need to really do anything. After days of rebooking and mid flight turn arounds, i finally went with Alaska who seemed just fine landing in said location. (Got delayed a few uours but got meal voucher and $50 toward future flight) Was such a difference!
What if someone has booked their flight with their miles? Would that passenger still be reimbursed? If so, how? Money? Or returned miles? Thank you, Mark.
I researched clarification on delayed flights when you still take the flight. From what I read, this is the statement on eligibility of refunds. Travelers will only be eligible if they turn down an alternative flight option or other compensation, like a travel voucher. That means if a passenger still took a flight after it was delayed for four hours, for example, they would not be eligible for the refund. If you still need to get home, you probably will still go on that delayed flight with no refund but does give you flexibility to find another airline without worrying about getting your money back.
I wonder if they will give back points to a credit card or back to the airline?
Won’t this incentivize airlines to fly in riskier weather conditions?
It’s about friggin’ time.
Are the rules subject to modification (e.g. being revoked by future administrations)?
How does any of this relate to flights traveling to the US?
So you get an another replacement ticket, and a refund?
Welp, higher fares here we come.
Yep
That’s great they are changing but who has time for the follow-up? I don’t have a wife or secretary. For me to follow up would cost me more money in time. Clothes are cheap. Again, if you have time, the airlines will most of the time give you a replacement bag if yours is damaged. I don’t have that kind of time to fill out paperwork. Any suggestions?
Thank you for this helpful info. I'm flying to the US end of december, so, if this happens, I know what I'm in title to. But I hope this won't happen, I am sooooo looking forward to this trip. 😊