Has your flight been postponed or cancelled? The government wants to make it easier for you to know what you need.
Transportation Department Dashboard launched Thursday shows the amenities and services the airline will provide to passengers if there is a delay or cancellation within the airline’s control, such as a staffing issue or a mechanical issue.
Among the amenities included in the DOT’s scheme are whether the airline will rebook its flights for free, provide meals or hotel accommodations, or provide ground transportation to and from hotels.
Airlines were under Increased pressure from regulators to improve their operations after Spring and summer are sometimes messy. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called the unrest this summer unacceptable and said he was considering more regulations.
Mr. Buttigieg sent letters last month to 10 of the largest US airlines to inform them of the dashboard. Mr Buttigieg told the airlines that the dashboard will pull information from each company’s customer service plans posted on their websites, giving flyers an easy way to see what amenities they should receive if they encounter cancellations or delays.
| Commitments | Alaska | Guardian | American | Delta | border | Hawaii | Jet Blue | Southwest | spirit | united |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rebooking a passenger on the same airline * | ✔ | ❌ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Rebooking a passenger on another airline * | ❌ | ❌ | ✔ | ✔ | ❌ | ✔ | ✔ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔ |
| Meal or Cash/Voucher Meal† | ✔ | ❌ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Complimentary hotel stay ‡ | ✔ | ❌ | ✔ | ✔ | ❌ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Complimentary ground transportation to and from the hotel ‡ | ✔ | ❌ | ✔ | ✔ | ❌ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ❌ | ✔ |
| Commitments | Alaska | Guardian | American | Delta | border | Hawaii | Jet Blue | Southwest | spirit | united |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rebooking a passenger on the same airline * | ✔ | ❌ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Rebooking a passenger on another airline * | ❌ | ❌ | ✔ | ✔ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔ |
| Meal or Cash/Voucher Meal† | ✔ | ❌ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Complimentary hotel stay ‡ | ✔ | ❌ | ✔ | ✔ | ❌ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Complimentary ground transportation to and from the hotel ‡ | ✔ | ❌ | ✔ | ✔ | ❌ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ❌ | ✔ |
Notes
- * At no additional cost.
- † When cancellation or significant delays result in the passenger waiting at least three hours for a new flight.
- ‡ For any passenger affected by a one-night cancellation or significant delay.
- Source: Department of Transport
Mr Buttigieg urged airlines to update those plans before the dashboard is launched, offering free meals for a minimum delay of three hours or more and free hotel rooms for those who need to wait overnight at the airport.
The Transportation Department said airlines that fail to deliver what they promise to passengers may have to pay civil fines.
Several airlines said that they have already provided passengers with services listed on the dashboard of the Department of Transportation.
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Elegant Travel a company
The airline, which performed the worst on the division’s dashboard, said the graph “does not accurately depict everything Allegiant does for its customers in the event of cancellations and schedule changes.” The company said it will update its customer service plan next week.
Spirit Airlines a company
He said that because it is a low-cost airline, it cannot enter into agreements with larger airlines, which limits its ability to rebook tickets on other airlines for passengers. But the carrier said it does so when needed, although that is not reflected in the dashboard.
The dashboard says Spirit does not offer ground transportation for travelers to hotels. But the company said it was working with hotels that offer airport shuttle services, and that it was giving passengers ride-sharing codes to cover transportation costs.
The Department of Transportation said Friday that if an airline updates its customer service plan, it will review the changes and adjust the dashboard accordingly.
From long queues to delays and cancellations, airports around the world are trying to manage a surge in post-pandemic travel with staff shortages. WSJ is following an American Airlines pilot through the turmoil to decipher how airlines are trying to fix it. Photomontage: Emily Siew
Write to Joseph Pisani at [email protected]
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