Buttigieg Gives U.S. Airlines An “Ultimatum”

If airlines don't improve their performance in terms of operations and consumer protections, new regulations will need to be put in place.

Buttigieg Warns More Consumer Protections If Airlines Do Not Improve Customer Service On Their Own

Buttigieg started his letter with this baseline.

“Americans expect when they purchase an airline ticket they will arrive at their destination safely, reliably, and affordably.”

It is not reasonable to expect 100% adherence to published schedules by carriers, due to bad weather, equipment failures, air traffic control issues, and sudden crew illness, according to the Department.

“Still, the level of disruption Americans have experienced this summer is unacceptable.”

According to Buttigieg, over 20% of U.S. domestic flights have been delayed or canceled in the first half of the 21st century. In order to make it easier for consumers to understand their rights when delays occur within the airline's control, the DOT is creating an interactive dashboard that provides air travelers a single venue where they can find easily digestible, comparative summary information on the services or amenities that each of the large U. The new section of the website will be live on September 2nd, 2022.

Buttigieg warns airlines.

[T]he Department is currently collecting comments on a proposed rule to clarify passengers’ access to refunds when they experience flight delays or cancelations. We are also contemplating options for rulemaking that would further expand the rights of airline passengers who experience disruptions.

Buttigieg wants airlines to give meal vouchers for delays of three hours or more and lodging for passengers who have to wait overnight because of disruptions within the carrier's control.

Meal vouchers and lodging vouchers are the minimum airlines can do if there is a long delay within their control. Unless something more substantive is threatened, Buttigieg's "ultimatum" to carriers will not carry any teeth.

CONCLUSION

Buttigieg's letter gives carriers an ultimatum to improve customer service, but it's not enough to make carriers change their customer service models. I don't think we will see any changes until the rules are harsher.

If Air Traffic Control doesn't get its act together, carriers will always have a defense for their poor performance.

Gage Skidmore is pictured.