A federal rule announced earlier this year requires airlines to issue refunds for delayed flights and luggage.
SeaTac International Airport is expecting Thursday to be the busiest travel day of the holiday week with 146,000 passengers, a spokesperson said.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, passengers will be able to get a refund when airlines cancel or significantly change their flights, significantly delay their checked bags or fail to provide the extra service they purchased.
“That’s definitely a concern that everyone has,” said Jesse Lane, a passenger.
Before the announcement, policies around refunds varied from airline to airline, however, the new rule is removing that wiggle room by defining a significant delay as at least three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international ones.
Airlines will be able to still offer another flight or travel credit instead, however, consumers can reject the offers.
The new rule also applies to refunds for checked-bag fees if the bag is not delivered within 12 hours for domestic flights or 15 to 30 hours for international travel plans.
“I like that a lot. Not being able to get refunds when your bag is lost is a big issue and that’s definitely a good policy,” said Lane.
However, the relatively new rule is not largely known by many travelers we spoke with.
“I think that’s nice. But I didn’t know that was an option. I didn’t know that was available,” said Nancy Astrup, traveler.
A few travelers, including Peter Astrup, told KIRO 7 News that the new rule will also hold airlines to be more accountable for their operations.
The Department of Transportation said the maximum liability for any lost or damaged luggage is $3,800.
KIRO 7 News reached out to the department to understand how the rule is being enforced, however, we’re still waiting for its response.
We also reached out to a number of airlines, including Alaska and Southwest, to understand each airline’s process and to get its responses. We’re still waiting to hear back.
In the coming months, a number of airlines announced that it will partner with Apple in a new program that would help pinpoint missing items in real time.
With the owners’ consent, airlines would be able to track the passengers’ Apple AirTag within their luggage to track their items in real time.
Owners would have full control of when to stop sharing its location at any time.
The new program is expected to roll out early 2025.
©2024 Cox Media Group
