Airlines Now Have to Provide Refunds to Passengers With Cancelled Flights Due to Coronavirus
If 2020 was supposed to be a big travel year for you but your plans got completely shattered by the coronavirus pandemic, here’s a silver lining: The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has mandated that airlines give full refunds to passengers with cancelled flights or significant delays.
The announcement comes after a series of complaints from ticketed passengers who were denied refunds and only offered vouchers or credits for future travel. The order applies to all flights to, within, or from the United States.
“Airlines have long provided such refunds, including during periods when air travel has been disrupted on a large scale, such as the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Hurricane Katrina, and presidentially declared natural disasters,” the DOT said in an enforcement notice. “Although the COVID-19 public health emergency has had an unprecedented impact on air travel, the airlines’ obligation to refund passengers for cancelled or significantly delayed flights remains unchanged.”
For now, the Aviation Enforcement Office will hold off on doling out any violations so that airline carriers can have the “opportunity to become compliant before taking further action,” according to the notice.
Airlines can still offer credits, but passengers must be made aware that they have the option to receive a refund if they want one. If you want to hang onto those credits as an excuse to rebook all of your future adventures, go for it. Not about that? Free your mind of worry—you can now get your refund.
Follow House Beautiful on Instagram.
You Might Also Like
