MORRISVILLE, N.C. (WNCN) — On Monday, the White House is expected to unveil new procedures airlines must follow if they significantly delay or cancel flights.
The Biden Administration has been working to require airlines to foot the bill if they are responsible for big changes to a flight itinerary.
The announcement comes just a few weeks before Memorial Day weekend and the start of the busy summer travel season.
The flight board was all green late Monday morning at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
But that isn’t always the case.
“I flew to Savannah for a golf tournament a couple of years ago and we got stuck in the airport and they were closed down,” said Gianna Varrati who was traveling once again to Savannah.
She said the airline did not pay for hotel rooms or help them figure out accommodations.
Just five months ago, Southwest Airlines passengers stood in line for hours after more than 17,000 flights were canceled and delayed during the holidays because of a system failure.
Many of those passengers were just offered vouchers.
Now, the U.S. Department of Transportation wants to give travelers more control.
If an airline is responsible for a significant delay or canceled flight, officials want them to cover more than just a refund.
Officials want them to pay up for a passenger to rebook their flight. They also want the airlines to foot the bill for meals and hotel rooms.
“I think if it’s the airline’s fault for, you know, either a delayed flight or you missed your connecting flight, then I think they should be held accountable,” said Varrati.
The agency said they are also working with each airline to minimize any cancellations and delays this summer.
Experts believe the summer travel season will be record-setting.
