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July 25, 2024
Screens displaying flight information flickered and went blank, replaced by a dreadful blue error message. A murmur of confusion spread among passengers. The airport buzz turns chaotic, filling the terminal with announcements of delays upon delays, leaving staff as frazzled as travelers themselves. The flight home from Atlanta to New York delays by an hour… and another hour… and past midnight it goes before the official declaration of cancellation. The growing frustration of passengers turn into desperation as luggages are held hostage, flight schedules backlogged, and hotels reach full occupancy.
Nobody knows anything, not even airlines. Most of all, passengers aren’t always aware of what airlines owe them. In lieu of the latest consumer protection laws imposed by the Biden-Harris Administration on airlines, passengers should soon expect their entitlements more upfront. Until then, we’ll unpack your rights as passengers in this one-stop-shop guide here at Travelsist.
Both the U.S. and EU regulations mandate passengers have the right to be informed about the status of their flights; including, but not limited to, flight delays, cancellations, and diversions. This includes the reason for the change if known. Airlines must communicate this information via various channels such as airline apps, emails, or announcements. The EU requires airlines provide leaflets detailing passenger rights and compensation rules upon request.
At the bare minimum, passengers are entitled to assistance which may include meals, refreshments, hotel accommodation, and transportation. In the U.S., there are no federal requirements for airlines to provide amenities to passengers as each airline has its own policies. In the E.U., commercial passengers are protected under EU261 making assistance eligible depending on the length of delay (see chart breakdown below).
Passengers affected by overbooking, delays, or cancellations are subject to compensation or accommodation within the limits of the airline’s control. Airlines in the U.S. are not legally required to compensate for delayed flights, though some may offer vouchers or miles as a goodwill return. At the current time of writing, compensations are not automatically reimbursed until the new consumer protection laws kick into place on October 28, 2024. In the E.U. however, there is a compensation range covered under EU261 with an exemption to extraordinary circumstances (e.g. severe weather).
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Screens display a blue error message at a departure floor of LaGuardia Airport in New York on Friday after a faulty CrowdStrike update caused a major outage for computers running Microsoft Windows.
(Yuki Iwamura / Associated Press)
Airlines are permitted to accommodate and assist passengers with disabilities. This includes accessible seating, boarding assistance, and support during connections.
Note: The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) rule states, “wheelchairs must be returned as close as possible to the door of the aircraft, so that passengers may use their own equipment to the extent possible”.
Airlines must provide passengers with food, water, lavatories, and medical care during tarmac delays. Passengers must be given the opportunity to deplane before a tarmac delay exceeds 3 hours for Domestic flights, and more than 4 hours on International flights.
If a flight is significantly delayed or cancelled, passengers can claim reimbursement for alternative transport to their final destination. This includes other flights, trains, buses, or car rentals.
The EU specifies rules for compensation if a passenger is downgraded to a lower class than which the ticket was purchased.
Passengers are entitled to a refund of:
Contributor: Crystal Li
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