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Approximately 2/3 of the world’s passenger airplanes have been grounded due to the relentless effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Millions of Americans have been forced to deal with cancellation after cancellation, and not by their own choosing.
Many airlines are pushing to give consumers flight credits to use for future travel, however, during these times a lot of people just rather have their money sent back to them.
Earlier this month, federal officials put out an order for airlines to reimburse customers for canceled flights. Passengers have continuously complained to The US Department of Transportation about airlines providing travel credits instead of refunds, which led to this decision.
The Department of Transportation has released an enforcement notice stating, “that passengers should be refunded promptly when their scheduled flights are cancelled or significantly delayed.”
According to this notice, the government will be exercising “prosecutorial discretion,” and will give airlines time to contact customers, update policies and properly train staff.
“The Department is receiving an increasing number of complaints and inquiries from ticketed passengers, including many with non-refundable tickets, who describe having been denied refunds for flights that were cancelled or significantly delayed,” the notice read.
