The Biden administration is racing to require airlines to pay cash compensation and provide lodging and meals to stranded passengers when an airline causes flights to be canceled or changed as President Joe Biden nears the end of his time in the White House
The rule changes would exceed airlines' current requirements to pay ticket refunds and put them more in line with consumer protections adopted in Europe, according to the Associated Press.
The Department of Transportation will seek public input on requiring airlines to pay passengers cash compensations, rebook them with no charge on the next available flight and cover meals, as well as overnight lodging, when a delay or cancellation is caused by a mechanical issue or IT breakdown.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said U.S. taxpayers understand the need for a "robust airline industry" and that's why they rescued the airlines during the COVID-19 crisis.
"Now that we are on the other side of the pandemic and air travel is breaking records, we must continue to advance passenger protections," he said.
"This action we're announcing is another step forward into a better era for commercial air travel - where the flying public is better protected and passengers aren't expected to bear the cost of disruptions caused by airlines," he added.
The Department of Transportation said flight cancellations between July 2021 and April 2022 potentially affected more than 15 million passengers, while flight delays potentially affected more than 116 million passengers.
The federal agency wants to require airlines to pay at least $200 in cash compensation to passengers whose flights were disrupted by an airline and up to $775 for delays of nine hours or more.
The rush is on to change the regulations before they are left up to Trump when he enters the White House on Jan. 20.
An industry trade group, Airlines for America, said Biden's proposals would cause ticket prices to soar.
"In this highly competitive industry, carriers don't need further incentive to provide quality service," the group told the AP. "This proposal is simply one in a long string of ill-conceived and rushed rules from an administration intent on reregulating the U.S. airline industry."
