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After the Biden administration issued a final rule last week that would require airlines to automatically issue refunds to passengers whose flights are delayed or canceled, four lawmakers controlled by the airline industry passed essentially Introduced legislation that could weaken the effort.
As The Leaver reported, the lawmakers – Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Representative Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and Representative Rick Larson (D-Wash.) – have a A new Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization deal introduced would require travelers to send a “written or electronic request” to receive a full refund for a canceled or significantly delayed flight.
The publication notes that, under this provision, “airlines must pay refunds only to the subset of passengers who have the disposable time and patience to go through the extremely difficult refund process.” The FAA’s current authority expires May 10.
The legislation comes after Cruz attempted to pass a measure that would give lawmakers their own security escorts at airports. Despite coming from a bright red state, Cruz once again faces a surprisingly competitive re-election campaign. Given that the two-term junior senator from Texas complained that “Democrats are coming after me” while begging for donations on Fox News earlier this month, it’s no surprise he’s trying to raise money wherever possible. Ho can try to satisfy the donors.
The provision in the FAA reauthorization would eliminate the Biden administration’s promise to streamline the refund process for airline customers — which has become a big issue as airlines routinely sell tickets on flights they don’t have the capacity to operate. . “There are a lot of airlines that can’t fly on their schedule,” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said last year. “Customers are paying the price. They are canceling a lot of flights. But they can’t complete the schedule today.
In an announcement last week, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg declared that passengers “deserve to get their money back when they owe an airline – without any headaches or haggling,” adding that his rule would “immediately require airlines to Sets a new standard for providing cash refunds.” For our passengers.”
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) criticized the measure on Monday, write on x that “the latest deal in Congress could mean that passengers are still bearing the burden of airlines’ accidents,” and that it “would be a gift to airlines, which know that many passengers have no time to deal with bureaucracy.” Warren said: “Congress should be protecting the rights of passengers, not the pockets of airline executives.”
