Delta Air Lines and other carriers are committing to pay for hotel and food expenses for some passengers whose flights are canceled or delayed by three hours or more, as the federal government pushes airlines to improve how they treat customers during flight disruptions.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg sent a letter to airlines two weeks ago "challenging" them to improve their customer service plans. He pledged to post an interactive dashboard before Labor Day showing what consumers are entitled to from airlines when their flights are canceled or significantly delayed due to circumstances within the airline's control.
The steps come as the airline industry emerges from a brutal summer travel season marred by flight disruptions, cancellations and staffing shortages.
The new Department of Transportation Airline Customer Service Dashboard, which launched Thursday, shows that most major U.S. airlines have committed in writing to customer service improvements, including for meal vouchers and hotel expenses, federal officials said.
"Passengers deserve transparency and clarity on what to expect from an airline when there is a cancelation or disruption," Buttigieg said in a written statement.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian wrote an Aug. 29 letter to Buttigieg outlining what the airline has done to improve its service.
"When passengers are inconvenienced, they deserve clear and transparent information and updates, as well as details about steps we're taking to make things right," he wrote.
When a flight is canceled or significantly delayed for reasons within Delta's control, the Atlanta-based airline now commits to rebook customers on the next available flight, or, if necessary, rebook on flights operated by another airline that it has a ticketing agreement with at no additional cost.