airlines are required by the DOT to give passengers refunds if their flights are outright canceled and they choose not to travel, but the rules around delays are a little murkier. ![]() We're working on a process that to try to get that right as we speak.Įditor's note: U.S. We think right now there's a pretty clear practice that has allowed us to give people refunds and benefits, but we do think that needs to be more specifically codified in regulation. Yeah, that's something we're working on right now, and we're going to have hearings coming up (this month) so that passengers and others can weigh in about their experience. Will 'significant delays' ever be officially defined by the DOT? But there's still more work to do in terms of improving that customer service experience. What we've seen is, overall, outside of extreme weather events, a general improvement in terms of cancellations and delays. I take at least a trip a week, usually on any number of the major airlines, and so I feel like we always have a chance to mystery shop how the airlines are doing when I'm pushing them to raise the bar on customer service. Question: What has been your commercial air travel experience?Īnswer: Well, look, I'm a very frequent flyer, as you might imagine. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. We spoke to Buttigieg about other steps the DOT is taking to hold airlines accountable and streamline travel, from policy changes to airport improvements. Let's be honest, air travel has been a gamble: What's behind the disruptions? 'I'm concerned': Buttigieg takes a look at the increase in near-collisions at airports ![]() Buttigieg and the Department of Transportation have taken aim at a range of issues in an effort to improve air travel, and just this week launched a dashboard outlining airline policies for family seat selection. ![]() Those disruptions can range from minor annoyances to major system failures, such as Southwest Airlines' meltdown over the holidays or the Federal Aviation Administration system outage that grounded all U.S. "I mean, like anybody else, it's frustrating to get canceled or delayed and it happened to me the other day," Buttigieg told USA TODAY in an interview. "Luckily, the delay was not so extreme that I missed my trip, but there have been times when we had to find a different way to get somewhere because of a cancellation, just as millions of Americans have experienced." Pete Buttigieg is pushing airlines to upgrade customer serviceĮven Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is not immune to travel headaches. Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.Watch Video: Sec. Southwest Airlines will keep its ‘bags fly free’ policy Of course, hefty fees for checked bags could soon be a thing of the past, as legislators recently introduced the Baggage Fee Fairness Act of 2015 that would limit checked-baggage charges to just $4.50/bag. The company’s net income increased nearly $143 million over the past year. Department of Transportation, the first three months of 2015 saw airlines collecting more than $864 million in revenue from the fees.ĭespite those proceeds, Southwest isn’t doing so bad without the added fees, the L.A. ![]() “Who wouldn’t want to be the only competitor doing a certain thing?” he said.Īirline checked bag fees, which range from $15 to more than $25, have become an important source of revenue for many carriers. Kelly suggested that if the airline – which is the only major carrier to not charge for checked bags – changed its policy, it would likely lose passengers to other airlines. Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly said during a business travel conference that it makes more financial sense for the carrier to retain its “bags fly free” policy, even if checked-baggage fees are a revenue booster, the Los Angeles Times reports. Less than a month after JetBlue said goodbye to free checked bags, Southwest Airlines has made it clear it won’t be going down the same path.
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