Airlines will be forced to offer cash refunds for delayed or cancelled flights without customers having to ask, under major new rules being finalized by the Biden administration.
The new plans, which have been nearly three years in the works, will require airlines to provide automatic refunds within a few days of a flight being cancelled or a ‘significant’ delay.
In a major change for consumers, the regulations will classify a ‘significant’ delay as lasting at least three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international routes.
Under current rules, airlines can set their own standards for what kind of flight change warrants a refund – giving them much more wiggle room.
The changes aim to cut out the often-long and frustrating process customers are forced to go through to get a refund, which can involve waiting hours on the phone or filing out ‘cumbersome’ digital paperwork.