Buttegieg says airline rules need a ‘refresh’

Last week, the Department of Transportation proposed new rules that would require airlines to provide passengers with refunds in the event of delays. Now, DOT secretary Pete Buttigieg has elaborated on the department’s approach and when we can expect any actual change from airlines.

In a statement to Reuters, Buttigieg reaffirmed that the approach for making sure passengers are treated properly needs improvements. He added that the DOT’s new proposed rules for refunds and vouchers could be the biggest expansion of passenger protection in years.

“We’ve been due for a refresh on a lot of our rules toward airlines and when you get it right, the entire system is better off – certainly passengers are better off,” Buttigieg told Reuters. “(Airlines) have a responsibility to take good care of passengers and we have a responsibility to hold them accountable.”

In an interview with The Points Guy, Buttigieg declined to commit to a date when any new rules would take effect but said that “we typically propose that any rule we adopt takes effect within 90 days of being published in normal rulemaking,” meaning that new traveler protections could take effect as early as next year.