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New Airline Regulations May Protect Fliers, Drive Up Flight Prices

August 22, 2011

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August 22, 2011

This week the Transportation Department will introduce new federal rules for airlines that are designed to protect fliers. Many airlines, however, say that the new rules will only end up driving flight prices up.

The new consumer protection rules, to take effect Tuesday, August 23, include:

  • Allowing the Transportation Department to impose fines on U.S. and foreign airlines of up to $27,500 per passenger if an international flight sits on a tarmac for more than four hours.
  • Refund passengers double the price of their tickets if their flight is delayed for more than few hours or if they are bumped from a flight. The longer the delay, the higher the compensation.
  • Require airlines to prominently display fees and charges on their websites.

In addition, several more rules will be added beginning on January 24, 2012. These rules include:

  • Promptly notify passengers of flight cancellations and delays.
  • Allow customers to cancel flight reservations 24 hours before a flight without payment, so long as the reservation has been made at least a week in advance.
  • Include taxes and fees in advertised fares.
  • Don’t raise ticket fare after a ticket has been purchased unless the increase is derived form government taxes and fees.

Read more.

Do you think these new federal airline regulations are a good idea?

If you or someone you know has had their safety compromised on a commercial or private aircraft, the aviation lawyers at Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy can help.

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