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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has warned airlines that his department could draft new rules around passenger rights if the carriers don’t give more help to travelers trapped by flight cancellations and delays.
Buttigieg is asking airline CEOs to, at a minimum, provide lodging for passengers stranded overnight at an airport and give out meal vouchers for delays of three hours or longer when the disruption is caused by something in the airline’s control.
The Transportation Department on Friday released a copy of the letters, which it said were sent to CEOs of the major U.S. airlines, their regional affiliates, and budget carriers.
A spokeswoman for Airlines for America, a trade group whose members include American, United, Delta and Southwest, said airlines “strive to provide the highest level of customer service.” She said the airlines are committed to overcoming challenges including a tight labor market.
Buttigieg’s agency recently proposed rules around refunds for passengers whose flights are canceled or rescheduled. He told the CEOs the department is considering additional rules “that would further expand the rights of airline passengers who experience disruptions.”
Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, has been sparring with the airlines since late spring over high numbers of canceled and delayed flights. In his latest salvo, he told airline CEOs he appreciates that airlines have stepped up hiring and trimmed schedules to better match the number of flights they can handle.
“Still, the level of disruption Americans have experienced this summer is unacceptable,” he wrote.
So far this year, airlines have canceled about 146,000 flights, or 2.6%, and nearly 1.3 million flights have been delayed, according to tracking service FlightAware. The rate of cancellations is up about one-third from the same period in 2019, before the pandemic, and the rate of delays is up nearly one-fourth.
Federal officials have blamed many of the disruptions on understaffing at airlines, which encouraged employees to quit after the pandemic started. The airlines have countered by blaming staffing problems at the Federal Aviation Administration, which hires air traffic controllers.
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The airline industry has declined so rapidly over the past few years. I no longer feel like a valued customer. If I am being truthful, we are treated like cattle. It is shameful. What used to be an enjoyable experience leading you on a desired location, is now a service which sits at the bottom of the barrel where we as customers must accept “their” poor standards. You would think an industry that still has billions of dollars in customer refunds and an industry that gets billions of dollars in taxpayer government subsidies would concentrate on providing quality service and would show some humility. In the past, we somewhat overlooked their poor service and grumpiness because the rates were so good. Now with rates doubled and tripled following the pandemic, the service is even worse. Cancelled flights and delayed flights without ANY explanation is now the standard in the industry. If you can text me all of the delays, why can’t you text me the “reason” for the delays. Just admit it airline industry, you just are not very good at what you do anymore!! So very disappointing.
Perfectly stated vincent.
LOL. Pete is only going to issue about 122 more “warnings”.
Pete is low-energy
Pete is low knowledge and experience. Severely over his head!