Travel expert explains what to do the next time your flight is delayed or cancelled.
Transcript:
CONWAY GITTENS: So many people are unaware of the Department of Transportation’s new rules in terms of passenger rights. So what exactly are these new rights?
CLINT HENDERSON: So the Biden administration has been very aggressive about really cracking down on the airlines who had not always been great about treating customers well in the event of big delays and cancellations. Now, there’s a lot of wiggle room still for airlines because if it’s weather, if it’s an act of God, then the rules don’t really apply. But I will say the Biden administration has been very aggressive about making the airlines give refunds more quickly. So if you paid cash, you have to get a cash refund within a few weeks.
Same thing with a credit card. If you pay with a credit card, you’re entitled to a refund. The airlines have also been much better about providing compensation in the event of long delays. So they’re not necessarily going to put you on a competitor airline or give you a luxury hotel, but they will give you a meal voucher. And in the case of long delays, sometimes they will protect you better. So the rules are getting better for passengers. I still think we need a passenger bill of rights like they have in Europe, but we’re just not there here.
CONWAY GITTENS: So what should a passenger do if an airline is giving them a hard time, they want a refund and they go to the airline. They say, my flight’s been delayed or my flight’s been canceled and I’m supposed to get a refund and you’re telling me that I’m not getting one?
CLINT HENDERSON: So don’t fight with the gate agent because it’s never going to be good for you in that situation. I would deal with it after the fact. So I would just cut my losses. If you couldn’t get another flight. But call the customer service number. Have other flights in mind. When you go to the airport have a backup plan. I always have a plan B and a plan C So I can tell the customer service agent, hey, there’s an American flight leaving. Say my delta flight is canceled. There’s an American flight leaving in two hours. Can you put me on that flight. They don’t. They won’t always say yes, but sometimes they will. And you should have the customer service phone number in your phone. You should have the social media accounts so you can ping them on social media.
And a little hack for your viewers, if you can’t get through to customer service, say it’s a massive weather related meltdown. Get the try to find the customer service number for the Australia office because sometimes those international call centers are not going to have waits, whereas in the U.S. you might have a long wait for the phone. So you really have to be your own best advocate. You do have some rights though, and the DOT has a customer dashboard that you can look up very easily with just a Google search and it’ll tell you what the airline is required to provide you and what they’re not required to provide you.
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