Protecting passengers and their money is at the center of President Joe Biden's newly proposed rule.
“Your time matters, the impact on your life matters,” Biden said.
“Whatever airlines can do to help people get to their destinations,” Betty Martin from Republic, Missouri, said.
During the holiday season, millions of air travelers were stranded due to flight cancellations and delays. Since then, there have been improvements.
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Cancellations are under 2% during the last few months, according to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
“Summer travel is going to put enormous pressure on the system, and we need to continue our work,” Buttigieg said.
Under a newly proposed rule, airline companies would be required to provide passengers with hotel stays, meals, rideshare and rebooking fees if there are changes to a flight that are within the carriers’ control and not caused by severe weather.
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“That is all on top of refunding the cost of your ticket,” Biden said.
Fliers said if implemented, the rule would provide significant financial relief for passengers and a different form of traveler's insurance.
“If your trip is totally canceled, I think you should get a refund,” Martin said. “I buy trip insurance, but it would be nice not to pay for that if the airlines covered that instead.”
“For pleasure, that is a big cost to find a hotel, hotel rooms are above $200 a stay,” Sheila Haddad, of Southington, said.
