TAMPA, Fla. — The busy Labor Day travel weekend is finally here. The U.S. Department of Transportation launched a new tool you can use to help navigate what services some airlines should owe you if your flight is canceled or delayed.
During this Labor Day weekend, Tampa International Airport expects to see about 340,000 passengers.
“We’re going to go visit family,” said Lola Morgan. “This is actually our son’s first time going, so we’re going to be super excited. It’s his first time on a plane at all.”
Over the past few months, thousands of people have felt the stress of flight delays or cancellations.
“It was very frustrating because we were late; the first plane was late, then we were trying to get there back on time, and then the second plane was late,” said Garvin Zephyrin.
On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Transportation rolled out a new airline customer service dashboard. The DOT said it’s meant to give people a one-stop spot to get information on the services they should get from airlines if they experience delays or cancellations that are caused by something within the airline’s control, like a mechanical or staffing issue.
Some passengers thought the tool is great for transparency.
“If you’re saying, 'hey, it was our fault. We messed up,' that’s great,” said Zephyrin. “That’s great. You’re going to, ‘this is what we can do for you.’ Now, we know, and honestly, I feel more comfortable flying with that airline because I know I don’t have to fight with you to get what’s due to me.”
The dashboard showed ten airlines, including American, Delta, and Southwest, and laid out different services, from rebooking passengers to giving meal vouchers.
“I think it’s pretty cool. It’s nice to know and not have to guess,” said Ronda Travis.
Before you head out on your travels, TPA wants people to make sure to arrive early before their flight and use the blue express curbsides if they can.
When it comes to a refund, the DOT said, “regardless of the cause of significant delays or cancellations, airlines are required to provide prompt refunds to ticketed passengers should a passenger choose not to accept the alternative offered such as rebooking on another flight.”
