Flying has been…less than ideal lately, to say the least.
There have been tons and tons of delays and cancelations for travelers, as well as staffing issues and routes being discontinued altogether. But, a new tool could help improve the experience for people flying around the United States.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has launched a new airline customer service dashboard to help people flying around the country, according to The Orlando Sentinel.
Starting now, you can use the dashboard to learn more about the guarantees, refunds, or compensation that major airlines will offer if your flight is delayed or canceled. This is just in time for Labor Day weekend! The dashboard should help you compare airlines based on which offers the best compensation.
This new tool is part of an extended pressure campaign from Pete Buttigieg, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation. He has been challenging the major airlines to improve their service and transparency after so many recent flight delays and cancelations.
“Passengers deserve transparency and clarity on what to expect from an airline when there is a cancelation or disruption,” said Buttigieg in a statement, according to The Orlando Sentinel. He also said that this new dashboard will help travelers to “easily understand their rights, compare airline practices, and make informed decisions.”
Some of the things the dashboard will show is a comparison between airline policies on things like offering meals for delays and which airlines offer to rebook flights for you. Do note that the dashboard only focuses on “controllable” issues with delays and cancelations, like mechanical issues, staffing issues, and fueling issues. Delays and cancelations that are caused by security concerns or weather issues don’t count. You can take a look at the dashboard right here.
In 2022 so far, about 146,000 flights have been canceled and about 1.3 million have been delayed, according to FlightAware. Government officials have been blaming theses issues on the airlines being understaffed, while airlines are blaming staffing issues at the Federal Aviation Administration.
For more on what’s going on in the air travel world, check out which major U.S. airline is cutting THOUSANDS of flights this fall, news about British Airways canceling 10,000 flights this holiday season, and the new terminal coming to Orlando International Airport.
Stay tuned to DFB for more news and updates.
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