New Regulations Will Force Airlines to Refund Air Travelers for Broken Wi-Fi

Air travel must often be approached with the same attitude you’d bring to a game show: wary yet eager as you throw caution to the wind and embrace the unknown in the name of a new adventure. Maybe you’ll have a good experience, with straightforward ticket prices and working in-flight Wi-Fi; maybe you’ll lose everything at the last minute, having been hit with a canceled flight just moments after unexpectedly having to pony up for a checked bag. A lack of airline accountability can make for a whirlpool of exasperating (and financially painful) circumstances. Soon, this could change, as yesterday the White House proposed a slew of regulations that would protect air travelers from shady airline practices.

First up on the docket would be disclosing flight-related fees upfront. As of now, you often don’t see extraneous fees until you go to pay for a flight. Other times, it’s not clear what fees might be charged to change your flight, or you could get to the gate without ever having learned the cost of sitting with your child. The White House’s new rule would require that airlines and travel search websites “disclose upfront—the first time an airfare is displayed—any fees charged to sit with your child, for changing or canceling your flight, and for checked or carry-on baggage.”

A second proposed rule would require airlines to refund travelers for in-flight Wi-Fi that they purchased but couldn’t use. (Yes, you read that right: airlines can currently charge you for internet connectivity, fail to provide it, and then refuse to give you a refund.) Though only Wi-Fi was named in the US Department of Transportation’s press release, the rule would also protect other services purchased yet never fulfilled.

“Airline passengers deserve to know the full, true cost of their flights before they buy a ticket,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in the release. “This new proposed rule would require airlines to be transparent with customers about the fees they charge, which will help travelers make informed decisions and save money.”

These proposals constitute only the most recent of Secretary Buttigieg’s attempts to even the air travel playing field. This month the Department of Transportation introduced a customer service dashboard that tells travelers whether their airline is committed to certain delay or cancellation remedies, like complimentary hotel accommodations or immediate free rebooking. The dashboard, combined with the above proposals, are in direct response to the Biden administration’s Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, which was signed last year.

The Department of Transportation has given the public 60 days to issue comments on the above rules prior to their amendment or implementation. Both can be found under docket number DOT-OST-2022-0109 on Regulations.gov.

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