by Donald Wood
Last updated: 12:55 PM ET, Mon May 13, 2024
Several major airlines
in the United States have filed a lawsuit against the Department of
Transportation (DOT) over the new fee transparency rules approved by President
Joe Biden and his administration in April.
According to Reuters.com,
Airlines for America (A4A) filed the lawsuit in the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of
Appeals on Friday, with support from major airlines, including Alaska, American, Delta,
Hawaiian, JetBlue and United.
An A4A spokesperson said the group is concerned the new regulations
will “confuse consumers” and that the DOT’s fee transparency rule is an “attempt
to regulate private business operations in a thriving marketplace is beyond its
authority.”
The airlines’ lawsuit also claims the mandate is “arbitrary,
capricious, an abuse of discretion and otherwise contrary to law."
In April, the Biden administration revealed that American
carriers must provide “automatic cash refunds” within days of a flight being
delayed significantly or outright canceled. The DOT estimates the new rules
will save
American travelers more than $500 million annually.
To avoid confusion, the DOT now universally defines a
significant delay as a plane that takes off at least three hours after the
scheduled departure time for domestic flights and six hours for international
service. The new rules also allow impacted passengers to reject the travel
credits or alternative flights offered by airlines in the case of a delay.
As for baggage fees and refunds, the DOT now gives carriers
12 hours to return checked baggage to customers on domestic flights and 30 for
international service. Otherwise, the impacted travelers will be eligible for a
refund. Passengers can also request a refund if the airline fails to provide
advertised extras, such as seat selection or internet connection.
In the days that followed the announcement of the new rules,
the American
Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) announced its disappointment. CEO Zane
Kerby said, “the Department of Transportation made a profound error in this
final rule,” and the mandate could “harm the small travel agencies who book air
tickets.”
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