Rules Aimed To Protect Airline Passengers To Be Scrapped By Feds

Remember the promise of more worry-free travel, automatic compensation for disrupted flights and the elimination of hidden junk fees in the so-called “airline passengers bill of rights?”

That’s not going to happen, save an unlikely act of Congress.

Called a game-changer for travelers when they were announced by the Biden administration in 2023, the proposed federal rules tackled two of the most difficult issues for travelers to sort out — getting a refund and being surprised by “junk fees” tacked on as they finish booking their flights, a practice officials say costs consumers millions of dollars a year.

Specifically, they ensured passengers would automatically receive compensation ranging from $200 and $775, along with free meals, lodging, and rebooking if their domestic flights were disrupted due to circumstances within the airlines’ control.

Also, airlines were required to disclose upfront what they charge for checked and carry-on bags or for canceling or changing a reservation. On airline websites, the fees must be shown the first time customers see a price and schedule, not trickled out throughout the booking process. Airlines could still charge more for certain seats while at the same time telling passengers they have a guaranteed spot on the plane at no additional cost, along with the upgrade cost of an exit-row seat or one near the front of the cabin.

Here are five things to know:

The Rules Haven’t Taken Effect Yet

The Biden administration issued its final version of the rule in December 2024, setting it to take effect after Trump returned to the White House for a second term.

The final rule, which would have provided for automatic compensation for disruptions, would have taken effect after the public comment period ended in February.

And They Won’t, Either

In a brief regulatory filing earlier this month, the Transportation Department said its plan to scrap the proposed rule is “consistent with Department and administration priorities.”

In a statement, the agency said protections would be limited to those required by law, and that some may be rolled back.

“Some rules proposed or adopted by the previous administration went beyond what Congress has required by statue, and we intend to reconsider those extra-statutory requirements,” the Transportation Department said in a statement.

Carriers Fiercely Opposed Rules

Industry trade group Airlines for America, which represents carriers including United, Delta and Southwest Airlines, welcomed the move by the Trump administration.

“We are encouraged by this Department of Transportation reviewing unnecessary and burdensome regulations that exceed its authority and don’t solve issues important to our customers,” the group said Thursday in a statement.

Airlines already offer some level of customer service when they cause flight cancellations or severe delays, but passengers usually have to ask for help at the airport, and airline promises don’t carry the weight of federal rules.

Carriers fiercely opposed it. In a public comment submitted this summer, Spirit Airlines said the rule threatened to increase operating costs for airlines and drive up ticket prices for passengers.

The budget carrier filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last week for the second time in a year. Spirit quickly followed that announcement with news that it planned to suspend operations next month in about a dozen cities.

“There is no free lunch,” Spirit said. “If every time a flight has to be cancelled due to, say, an aircraft maintenance issue, airlines were required to pay each affected passenger $300 plus hotel and meals, there would be a perverse incentive to cancel flights preemptively at any hint of trouble.”

What Do Passengers Say?

Paul Hudson, the president of FlyersRights.org, one of the largest U.S. organizations for airline passengers, told The New York Times the decision to withdraw the protections is “unfortunate and ultimately self-defeating.”

“Without a delay-compensation rule, airlines do not have the incentive needed to make their systems reliable,” he said in an interview, noting that currently “the cost of the delays, the cost of the flight brownouts, is borne by the passenger.”

“Until that changes, you will not see, we don’t think, the system getting more reliable,” he added.

The European Union has had similar protections in palace since 2004. In 2023, researchers found that consumer rights regulations putting financial pressure on airlines to prevent flight disruptions had significantly cut delays.

What Happens Now?

Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal and others, like Tennessee Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen, have proposed Senate and House versions of legislation that would require carriers to compensate travelers for disrupted flights.

The legislation faces tough odds in increasingly polarized Washington. Trump has sought to significantly roll back or modify federal regulations that his administration deems are wasteful or burdensome.

In a statement to The Hill, the Transportation Department said it would follow the directives of Congress

“We will faithfully implement all aviation consumer protection requirements mandated by Congress, including the requirement to refund ticket prices to passengers in the case of airline canceled or substantially delayed flights when consumers choose not to travel,” a spokesperson said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.