The Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a pair of guidelines regarding ticket refunds and airline service obligations, respectively, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The DOT has produced a second Enforcement Notice relating to airline ticket refunds in the wake of more than 25,000 air travel service complaints and inquiries filed in March and April 2020 with the DOT indicating many of the complaints concerned refunds.
“The Department has received an unprecedented volume of complaints from passengers and is examining this issue closely to ensure that airlines’ policies and practices conform to DOT’s refund rules,” Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao said. “The Department is asking all airlines to revisit their customer service policies and ensure they are as flexible and considerate as possible to the needs of passengers who face financial hardship during this time.”
The DOT said the Notice of Adjustments to Service Obligations addresses incremental adjustments to service obligations under Order 2020-4-2, issued April 7, 2020.
The Notice initiates a process in which the DOT enables covered carriers to reduce the number of points they must serve as a proportion of their total service obligation. This ensures every community served by a covered air carrier before March 1, 2020, continues to receive service from at least one covered carrier.