When service plans are part of contracts of transportation, this is a real change.

The real change means making these features part of the vehicle contract. Now, amenities for canceled flights may include meals and overnight hotel stay.

It’s almost like magic, but airlines are now paying attention to passengers they may have turned away in the past when flights were canceled. Now airlines are promising to provide facilities to passengers for canceled flights. Their future use is based on the incoming votes of Congress.

Unfortunately, these features are being added to airlines’ customer service plans, but not to the airlines’ transportation contracts (except Delta Air Lines). Nothing has been promised legally. In the past, the Department of Transportation (DOT) had claimed that it had not received permission from Congress for Jawbone Airlines to change its policies.

Airlines take the first steps to treat passengers like humans when flights are cancelled.

After just a modest statement from the DOT Secretary, the airline world got the message – treat passengers like humans when flights are cancelled. It is a shame that it took an entire summer and over 100,000 complaints for the DOT to take action. Complaints came from news media, social media and DOT’s complaint system. Note: These “Rules” are only added to “Customer Service Plans”. It does not involve any force of law; Only that best efforts have been made (except where noted for Delta Air Lines).

DOT should insist that these new customer service agreements be made an enforceable part of the contract of carriage. Otherwise, they are merely a public relations ploy. Transferring customer service plans to contracts of carriage is a long-term goal of Travelers United. Delta Air Lines is the only major carrier that includes flight cancellation provisions in its transportation contracts. All other airlines offer this as part of their “customer service plan”.

Of course, airlines have a lot of wiggle room before they offer amenities.

Any “force majeure“These features are not triggered beyond the airlines’ control. Only problems under airline control cause these features to take effect. Understaffed airline flight crews and airport personnel are among many guilty of such behavior. Additionally, the passenger must request assistance. But, the clarification and new presentation are welcome as a step in the right direction.
New passenger facilities may come.

Note that there is significant flexibility in this customer service plan. This is not a legal obligation. This is not part of the vehicle contract. There are many phrases like “available” and “you can ask”. “We will move you to the next flight with available seats in the same cabin in which you are traveling at no extra cost.” Until this confusion is resolved between the airlines and Congress, a compromise on the rules may go to the traveler.

These features are part of the customer service plan and not the legal contract of the vehicle.

Note the undefined term “significant delay”. Also note that these facilities become operational as soon as the flight is cancelled. There is no amount listed for meal vouchers, and hotel promises include “reasonable” hotel costs and transportation costs.

Here are American Airlines’ rules for dealing with non-refundable tickets. Most non-refundable fare rules follow this wording.