US Department of Transportation
The US Department of Transportation launched a new “airline customer service dashboard.”
It breaks down the different rights passengers have when an airline delays or cancels their flight.
Multiple airlines changed their hotel and meal voucher policies ahead of its launch, the DOT said.
The Biden Administration on Thursday launched a new “airline customer service dashboard” that allows passengers to navigate the complex accommodations and reimbursements policies of various US airlines when a flight is canceled or delayed.
“Passengers deserve transparency and clarity on what to expect from an airline when there is a cancelation or disruption,” US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “This dashboard collects that information in one place so travelers can easily understand their rights, compare airline practices, and make informed decisions.”
The project comes weeks after Buttigieg told airline CEOs that the level of flight disruptions this summer has been “unacceptable” and that airlines must “provide timely and responsive customer service during and after periods of flight disruptions.”
The agency’s recent push for passenger rights has triggered multiple US airlines to “significantly” alter their existing hotel and meal voucher policies, the DOT said.
A spokesperson for Delta told Insider their customer service commitments were already “aligned” with Buttigieg’s requests, adding that the airline has “updated some of our language to be explicitly clear about the services and amenities we provide customers when they are inconvenienced.”
United “rewrote its customer commitments to be more clear and readable to travelers,” a spokesperson told Insider. The airline will now offer meal vouchers to passengers whose flights are delayed more than three hours instead of four hours, the airline’s website shows.
American Airlines has also updated the language in its customer service plan to “clarify” the company’s existing policies, a spokesperson said. JetBlue did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
Despite the recent policy tweaks, some major US airlines still do not provide hotel or meal vouchers to passengers whose flights are disrupted due to reasons beyond the airline’s control, such as weather.