Under the latest guidelines, the airline must provide the refunds automatically, without passengers having to request them. Refunds must be issued within seven days for credit card purchases, and 20 days for other forms of payment.
The refunds must be issued to the original form of payment and they can’t be in the form of airline vouchers or credits if the tickets weren’t paid for that way. Refunds must also cover the full, unused value of the ticket.
The new rule also specifies that delayed flights become eligible for refunds after three hours for a domestic itinerary or six hours for international. These time limits apply both to departure and arrival delays.
The policy also covers “significantly changed” flights, which the DOT says are “departures or arrivals from a different airport; increases in the number of connections; instances where passengers are downgraded to a lower class of service; or connections at different airports or flights on different planes that are less accessible or accommodating to a person with a disability.”
Significantly Delayed Baggage Returns
Baggage delays are also covered under the new rule. When checked luggage doesn’t arrive within a reasonable amount of time, airlines must refund any checked bag fees that were paid. In this case, passengers have to file a mishandled baggage report with an airline.
Luggage is considered significantly delayed if it is not delivered within 12 hours of a domestic flight arriving at its gate, or within 15-30 hours of an international flight arriving, depending on its length.
Refunds for Ancillary Services
The rule also provides refunds for in-flight services that were paid for but the airline failed to provide. These charges include services like seat selection, in-flight Wi-Fi, and in-flight entertainment purchases.
If you pay for one of these add-ons and it was not provided, then the airline has to issue a refund.
Publisher: Source link