Airlines May Have to Refund Fliers for Delayed Bags

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

It's a frustration that many frequent fliers know—that sinking feeling when your flight safely arrives at its destination, but your checked bag is nowhere to be found.

Now, federal regulators are working to ease at least some of the irritation of this all too common scenario. Under a new proposed rule from the Department of Transportation, U.S. airlines would have to refund travelers' fees when checked bags are significantly delayed.

Current regulations say that airlines are only compelled to refund passenger bag fees when checked luggage is lost. Under the new rules, fliers would get their money back when bags are delayed beyond 12 hours for domestic flights and beyond 25 hours for international flights.

If passed, the new rule would be a major win for consumers. In recent years, airlines have steadily raised fees for checked baggage, with the average price for the first checked bag clocking in at $30. U.S. airlines made a collective $5.7 billion off bag fees in 2019—making luggage one of the industry's most lucrative charges. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, nearly 2 million bags were reported as mishandled by airlines in 2018, the most recent year for which data is available.

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/airlines-may-have-to-refund-fliers-for-delayed-bags

[MiniMe]

1. Had a friend who recently traveled to Hawaii

Their bags were lost for about 2 days.

[elleng]

2. I'm not keen on the burden,

might rather see prohibition on increased fees, say over $10/per?

[lagomorph777]

3. Making them refund your money for a service not rendered is a "burden?"

You're fine with paying them to lose your bag?
Just one more reason not to fly. I don't expect to board a plane again.

[elleng]

4. Yes, it's a burden for them, and for travelers;

I am NOT 'fine' with 'paying them to lose' my bag.

They misplaced my family's baggage (years ago) for a trip to/from Frankfurt; we were heading for a wedding in Poland from DC, and then traveling by rail to Vienna, Genoa, and Cannes; resulted in expenses throughout the trip. (P.S. On another trip, Amtrak lost our luggage between DC and Montana.)

They didn't contact us during the trip, but on our return to Frankfurt, they had found the baggage.

I don't have plans to fly, but my daughter is, now, traveling to/from BWI > Tennessee, for unexpected business trip. Fingers crossed.

[lagomorph777]

5. How is it a burden for travelers to not pay for services not rendered?

And why were you fine with your airline not contacting you when they lost your luggage for an important trip (no doubt causing great havoc)?

[elleng]

6. The burden for travelers is to sustain lost/delayed baggage.

We were not 'fine' with them not contacting us; we continually tried to reach them from Germany/> Poland.

We did a fair job avoiding 'havoc,' because even in Poland, there were shops where we could find things to wear, even for a wedding (for 2 daughters + 2 adults.)_

(AND there were/are shops in Montana.)