Data / Federal rules / 2024-07177

Refunds and Other Consumer Protections

The Transportation Department published this final rule in the Federal Register on April 26, 2024. It took effect on June 25, 2024.

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What the agency says

The U.S. Department of Transportation (Department or DOT) is requiring automatic refunds to consumers when a U.S. air carrier or a foreign air carrier cancels or makes a significant change to a scheduled flight to, from, or within the United States and the consumer is not offered or rejects alternative transportation and travel credits, vouchers, or other compensation. These automatic refunds must be provided promptly, i.e., within 7 business days for credit card payments and within 20 calendar days for other forms of payment. To ensure consumers know when they are entitled to a refund, the Department is requiring carriers and ticket agents to inform consumers of their right to a refund if that is the case before making an offer for alternative transportation, travel credits, vouchers, or other compensation in lieu of refunds. Also, the Department is defining, for the first time, the terms "significant change" and "cancellation" to provide clarity and consistency to consumers with respect to their right to a refund. The Department is also requiring refunds to consumers for fees for ancillary services that passengers paid for but did not receive and for checked baggage fees if the bag is significantly delayed. For consumers who are unable to or advised not to travel as scheduled on flights to, from, or within the United States because of a serious communicable disease, the Department is requiring that carriers provide travel vouchers or credits that are transferrable and valid for at least 5 years from the date of issuance. Carriers may require consumers to provide documentary evidence demonstrating that they are unable to travel or have been advised not to travel to support their request for a travel voucher or credit, unless the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) publishes guidance declaring that requiring such documentary evidence is not in the public interest.

Key facts

Document number

2024-07177

Type

Final rule

Action

Final rule

Agency

Transportation Department

Published

April 26, 2024

Takes effect

June 25, 2024

Dates

This rule is effective June 25, 2024. Upon OMB approval of the information collection established in this final rule, the Department will publish a separate notice announcing the effective date of the collection.

Docket

Docket No. DOT-OST-2022-0089 and DOT-OST-2016-0208

Regulation ID (RIN)

2105-AF04

Code of Federal Regulations

14 CFR 259; 14 CFR 260; 14 CFR 262; 14 CFR 399

Topics

Administrative practice and procedure; Air carriers; Air rates and fares; Air taxis; Consumer protection; Reporting and recordkeeping requirements; Small businesses

Significant

Yes, under Executive Order 12866

Pages

80

The document on federalregister.gov PDF

Other documents from the Transportation Department

Everything from the Transportation Department · Rules on administrative practice and procedure · Rules on air carriers · Rules on air rates and fares · Published in April 2024

Read from the Federal Register API, last updated 2026-10-23. The document on federalregister.gov is the official record; dates and dockets can change through later corrections. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.