New federal regulations mandate automatic refunds for airline delays and cancellations
- The TSA anticipates a record number of travelers this holiday season, especially on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
- New airline regulations now guarantee automatic refunds for cancellations and significant delays.
- These regulations are expected to improve airline accountability and give travelers more confidence.
In the United States, as holiday travel surged, new regulations from the Department of Transportation were implemented at the end of October 2024. Travelers faced increasingly congested airports, with predictions estimating around 2.8 million passengers expected on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. These regulations ensure that passengers no longer need to file paperwork to receive refunds for canceled flights or significant delays, which are now defined as domestic delays of three hours or more and international delays of six hours or more. Additionally, passengers are now entitled to refunds for baggage fees if luggage is not delivered within specified timeframes. Travelers have expressed satisfaction with these new measures, hoping they will encourage airlines to improve their reliability.