Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is reminding residents of the rights afforded to airline passengers as a result of the new U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) rules that went into effect on June 25.
A video highlighting the new rules can be found on the Michigan Attorney General’s YouTube page. Attorney General Nessel chairs the USDOT Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee that evaluates existing aviation consumer protection programs and recommended these changes to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in January of last year.
“The recent IT systems outage that severely disrupted air travel underscores the need for strong passenger protections,” Nessel said in a press release. “These new DOT regulations hold airlines accountable for fair treatment and timely refunds, restoring confidence in air travel and ensuring the rights of passengers are protected. I encourage any Michigan resident who has faced issues receiving a refund after a delay or cancellation to file a complaint with my office.”
The USDOT states that passengers are entitled to a refund for:
Canceled or significantly changed flights: Passengers will be entitled to a refund if their flight is canceled or significantly changed, and they do not accept alternative transportation or travel credits offered. For the first time, the rule defines “significant change.” Significant changes to a flight include departure or arrival times that are more than 3 hours domestically and 6 hours internationally; departures or arrivals from a different airport; increases in the number of connections; instances where passengers are downgraded to a lower class of service; or connections at different airports or flights on different planes that are less accessible or accommodating to a person with a disability.
Significantly delayed baggage return: Passengers who file a mishandled baggage report will be entitled to a refund of their checked bag fee if it is not delivered within 12 hours of their domestic flight arriving at the gate, or 15-30 hours of their international flight arriving at the gate, depending on the length of the flight.
Extra services not provided: Passengers will be entitled to a refund for the fee they paid for an extra service — such as Wi-Fi, seat selection, or in-flight entertainment — if an airline fails to provide this service.
The rules also require the airlines to provide automatic, prompt and complete refunds in the same method of payment used by the consumer to purchase their tickets.
The USDOT has launched a new online consumer dashboard (flightrights.gov) to help track airline compliance with the new rules and their customer service commitments to their customers, including a dashboard dedicated to current service members and their families.
Earlier this year, AG Nessel announced a new partnership with the USDOT that streamlines how the Michigan Department of Attorney General will work together with the federal agency to review consumer complaints and identify violations of federal aviation consumer protection requirements.
Further information about the new rules and passenger rights can be found on the USDOT Aviation Consumer Protection website.
Any resident who faced recent delays or cancellations at the airport, and has yet to receive a refund in compliance with the new rules, is encouraged to file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Team or with the USDOT directly.
A library of consumer alerts created by the Department of Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Team is available online and organized by a number of categories.
Consumer Protection Team
P.O. Box 30213
Lansing, MI 48909
517-335-7599
Fax: 517-241-3771
Toll-free: 877-765-8388
Online complaint form
