An investigation of 10 airlines was completed by the U.S. Transportation Department (USDOT) regarding pandemic refunds owed to passengers, with upcoming enforcement planned as the probe continues into 10 more airlines, Reuters reported on Monday (July 11).
“We’ll collaborate with airlines when they’re ready to take steps that are positive and proactive, whether that’s improvements in pay that are helping with hiring or flexibility in customer service,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told Fox News Sunday. “We’re also going to enforce passenger and consumer rights.”
The 10 airlines weren’t identified by the USDOT or by Buttigieg, Reuters reported.
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The agency announced a bill of rights on Friday (July 8) for passengers with disabilities and issued a notice to airlines to seat young children next to a parent. The DOT said complaints against airlines are up 300% above pandemic levels.
“We look forward to working with the federal government to identify and resolve shared challenges to minimize disruptions and ensure safe, seamless travel,” Airlines for America, an industry group, said on Sunday, Reuters reported.
Read more: Pandemic Triggers $2.1B Loss For United Airlines
Buttigieg had a meeting with airline heads in June to discuss summer flight schedules following numerous cancellations. Carriers have put the blame on the Federal Aviation Administration and its air traffic control staffing issues, per Reuters.
“We’ve seen some improvement over the course of the summer, but still not an acceptable level in terms of performance, cancellation and delays,” Buttigieg said.
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The USDOT is planning to update its rules regarding refunds for consumers who can’t travel due to government restrictions, which was the case during the pandemic. Current regulations don’t address refund eligibility during those types of special cases where cancellations were due to the government.
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