New Department of Transportation Rules Changes Help Airline Passengers

after the reservation is made (when purchasing at least a week before a flight’s departure date).

  • There must be prompt notification of delays of more than 30 minutes, cancellations and diversions.

    • These are the final provisions of the airline consumer regulations issued by the Transportation Department in April 2011. Last August, the Transportation Department also mandated that airlines must refund baggage fees if bags are lost, provide increased compensation to passengers bumped from oversold flights and strengthen tarmac delay limits on all flights.

    For more information on the rules, visit the Transportation Department’s website.

    For complaints, go to the Department of Transportation’s Aviation and Consumer Protection Division’s site.