The Department of Transportation says more than 180,00 flights were canceled last year.
In December, a scheduling and staffing meltdown at Southwest left thousands of holiday travelers stranded.
The Biden Administration says it is working on new regulations that would require airlines to compensate passengers for non-weather-related delays and cancellations that are within the carriers’ control.
The rules could require airlines to go beyond a ticket refund and include compensation for meals, hotel rooms, transportation, and re-bookings.
The airline industry says more than half of cancellations in 2022 and 2023 have been caused by factors it can’t control – including extreme weather or air traffic system outages.
Nicholas Calio, president and CEO of Airlines for America said new regulations in Europe led to higher airfare prices.
“We have no incentive to delay or cancel a flight, when that happens and it’s in our control, we do everything we can to make our passengers whole,” said Calio.
But the Biden administration wants to make it a mandatory rule, though it won’t happen soon.
It could be anywhere from 12 months to two years before the regulations take effect.
