A proposal that would have allowed travelers to seek compensation for flight delays and other airline missteps has been grounded by the Trump administration.
The U.S. Department of Transportation formally withdrew a proposal this week that would have required airlines to pay travelers between $200 and $775 for preventable delays that last at least nine hours. The proposal, issued during the Biden administration, had been open for public comment, but the Trump administration shut the process down this week.
“Rather than issuing burdensome and complex new regulations not supported by data, the department is focusing its efforts on helping airlines improve performance for consumers through improvements to the national air space,” the withdrawal notice published in the Federal Register said. DOT added that it did not believe it was within the agency’s authority to impose specific compensation requirements on airlines.
The agency first signaled its intention to drop the proposal in September; this week’s announcement formalized the decision.
A DOT spokesperson told NBC News that the proposal “does not reflect the compensation consumers are currently entitled to with respect to delays and cancellations,” adding: “These actions are part of our broader effort to ensure the traveling public is treated fairly while also recognizing how overly burdensome regulations will raise ticket prices for the traveling public and compromise safety for the sake of efficiency.”
Predictably, the proposal was supported by consumer groups but vigorously opposed by airlines. The compensation levels outlined in the plan would have set up a consumer protection regime similar to that found in Europe.
Currently, the decision whether to compensate travelers for delays, and for how much money, is left entirely to the discretion of airlines in the U.S.
“Contrary to popular belief, for domestic itineraries, airlines are not required to compensate passengers whose flights are delayed or canceled,” the DOT noted on its website.
