(NEXSTAR) – In early September, the Trump administration announced the dismantling of a Biden-era policy to compensate fliers, a move applauded by a trade group calling for more deregulation that could directly affect passengers.
Airlines for America, which lobbies on behalf of United, Delta, Southwest, JetBlue, and other major carriers, sent a 93-page request earlier this year that seeks to undo numerous passenger protection rules to deregulate the industry and usher in a “new ‘golden age’ of air travel.”
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Proponents argue that deregulation allows market forces to boost airline competition and efficiency, ideally creating lower prices for customers in the process. Not all travel experts agree, however.
“Many of the rules that have been put in place or suggested by the previous Administration were common sense rules that helped keep airlines accountable,” The Points Guy Expert Clint Henderson said in a statement. “Europe and the UK have generally more friendly passenger rights laws that we would have liked to see Americans enjoy as well.”
Earlier this month, the DOT killed a policy introduced at the end of Biden’s time in office that would have required airlines to compensate passengers for delays and flight disruptions.
The proposal, which was introduced in December 2024, had not yet become law.
What protections are mentioned?
The sweeping rollback of rules proposed by Airlines for America includes one change that would be “a big blow” to passengers, Henderson told Nexstar in a statement: speedy refunds for passengers who don’t accept rebooking in the event of a major delay or cancellation.
The Biden-era proposal that the Trump administration blocked in early September would have guaranteed passengers $200 to $775 in cash, even if they had rebooked.
Multiple carriers, including Spirit Airlines, which recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, spoke out against the proposal, saying it would drive up operating costs and ticket prices.
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The trade group is also asking the DOT to do away with the following, among other regulations:
“All-in” pricing transparency rules that show customers the total cost of a ticket
DOT guidelines on free family seating
New rules around the handling of wheelchairs
Travel credits or vouchers for passengers restricted from flying because of a communicable disease.
On Monday, the DOT announced that it would not be enforcing wheelchair passenger rules enacted under the prior administration, according to Reuters.
The Department of Transportation did not immediately respond to Nexstar’s request for comment.
What can passengers do?
The future of passenger protection regulations put in place under former Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg remains unclear, but, in the meantime, Henderson recommends that passengers do the following to look out for their travel plans and finances:
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Buy plane tickets with a credit card that comes with protections in the case of trip delays and cancellations.
Read up on your rights as a passenger, since many are still in place. For example, you are still entitled to a refund within 24 hours of buying a ticket.
Check out the DOT Airline and Cancellation Dashboard, which was still live at publishing time.
If weather or some other complication leaves you stranded, ask the airline for what you want, “from hotels to meals to even getting compensation in cash or points or travel credits. The worst they can say is no.”
If you don’t already have it through a credit card, consider getting travel insurance, especially for a costly vacation.
Get familiar with the airlines that fly your route, or investigate other modes of transportation in case you need a backup plan.
Henderson added that fliers can always file a complaint with the DOT if nothing else works.
