New regulations come into effect, and the protection of US airline passengers is greatly improved

New regulations take effect, and the protection of US airline passengers is greatly improved (Alberta Times) The U.S. Department of Transportation’s new regulations to protect air passengers will take effect on August 23, and will allow flights exceeding...

(Alberta Times)

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s new rules to protect air passengers, which take effect on August 23, will provide more compensation to passengers whose flights are overbooked and forced to be unable to board, or whose flights are delayed. In order to improve the protection of air passengers, the Ministry of Transport announced new regulations that also require baggage fees to be refunded to passengers whose baggage is lost. However, there are no refunds for baggage delivery delays. Airlines argue that they still have to charge even if the bag is delayed because they don't guarantee that the bag will be on the same flight as the passenger. (Security rules requiring luggage to be on board with its owner are no longer in place, as all luggage must pass bomb screening.) Under the new rules, passengers with tickets who are denied boarding could receive more compensation from airlines. The airline must put you on another flight within two hours for domestic routes and within four hours for international routes, or you can be reimbursed four times your fare, up to a maximum of $1,300. The old rule was twice the ticket price, up to $800. (If the airline lets you take another domestic flight within one to two hours, or another international flight within one to four hours, you can be compensated for double the fare, up to a maximum of $650. The old rule was to compensate the ticket price, up to a maximum of $400.) Compensation for passengers without a seat is calculated based on the fare of that flight, not the round-trip fare. Most importantly, airlines must pay passengers in cash on the spot, rather than asking you to get a voucher to use on a later flight. Remember to ask them to write a check on the spot. The more airlines compensate passengers, the less likely they are to overbook tickets. The Department of Transportation has significantly increased the compensation amount twice in recent years. In addition, a higher compensation amount will also enable airlines to offer better conditions to passengers who voluntarily give up their seats to avoid higher compensation due to insufficient seats. The new rules require airlines to make more disclosures about fees, essentially requiring them to make the information easier for guests to find on their websites. Starting in January this year, passengers will also be able to reserve their reservation for 24 hours or cancel within 24 hours without penalty. Many major airlines did this automatically 10 years ago, and the Department of Transportation now makes it explicit. International flights are now subject to a four-hour delay rule at U.S. airports, including U.S. and foreign airlines. However, safety, security and air traffic control considerations are exceptions. After a two-hour delay, airlines must provide adequate food, drinking water, restrooms and necessary medical treatment. Traveling for more than 4 hours may result in severe fines, with each passenger paying NT$27,000 to the government. "USA Today" reported that the new regulations proposed by the Department of Transportation are not the only ones. But airlines complain they need more time to adapt. Therefore, the Department of Transportation agreed to postpone the implementation of the following regulations until January 24 next year. Next year's regulations require airlines to comply with the following points: If a flight is canceled or delayed by more than 30 minutes, passengers must be notified in real time at the boarding gate, on the airline's website, or in the telephone reservation system. The advertised ticket price must include all government fees and taxes, and airlines generally list these fees as additional items. Customers cannot increase the price after purchasing a ticket, unless due to adjustments in government fees and taxes, and the passenger agrees to accept the price increase.