The Department of Transportation (DoT) announced a new online dashboard to help air travelers navigate airline policies to receive compensation entitled to them.
The announcement follows comments by transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg that airlines needed to step up their efforts. Some things, like extreme weather, are out of airlines' control, "But a lot of things are in their control; And one of those things is how they treat customers," Buttigieg said during an interview with NPR.
The dashboard comes after a rough year for air travelers, with heavy delays as many Americans returned home from traveling for the holidays, and once again during spring break and the summer.
What Does the Dashboard Actually Do?
The DoT's Airline Customer Service Dashboard collects information on common compensation policies, such as offering meal vouchers for lengthy delays, or a complimentary hotel stay in the event of a cancellation. The DoT has focused on compensation for disruptions under the control of airlines, such as baggage delays or scheduling issues, for the ten largest airlines in the U.S., including United
The dashboard presents a comparison chart of which airlines offer certain policies, allowing consumers to compare how much of a safety net each airline offers for potential delays or rescheduled flights. Links to each airline's customer service plans are made available for anyone seeking further details.
The dashboard also has reference materials for consumers' rights when flying, such as legal guidelines for refunds, handling travelers with disabilities, or the proper disclosure of baggage fees.
While the jury is out on whether the dashboard has caused any changes in airline policies, some airlines seem to have at least been pressured into making their customer service plans more accessible.
Rolled Out in Time for Labor Day Delays
Americans traveling this Labor day weekend faced ongoing delays and cancellations, with the script more or less following the same beats as summer and winter travel peaks over the last year. A combination of weather and airline-caused issues have caused many passengers to become stranded at airports for long periods of time, sometimes overnight.
According to FlightAware.com, just under 3,900 flights flying within or leaving the U.S. were delayed on Saturday, while over 2,600 were cancelled. On Sunday, over 2,800 flights were delayed, while under 2,500 were cancelled.
