CNN has an article which does a great job of summarizing the new changes put forth by the U.S. Transportation Department aimed at improving the air travel experience.
The original news release is also available from the the Department of Transportation website.
The bumping rules cover compensation requirements airlines must adhere to when passengers are involuntarily bumped from their flight.
Bumping Rule Highlights:
The new rule goes into effect next month
Fliers who are involuntarily bumped will receive up to $400 if they are rescheduled to reach their destination within two hours of their original arrival time or four hours for international flights, and up to $800 if they are not rerouted within that timeframe.
The new rule covers more flights, including those operated with aircraft seating 30 people or more; the current rule covers flights with 60 seats or more.
The amount of these payments are determined by the price of the ticket and the length of the delay, and are in addition to the value of the passenger’s ticket, which the flyer can use for alternate transportation or have refunded if not used.
Frequent flyers do not usually get involuntarily bumped due to our status, but it’s always good to know what your rights are as a flyer should this ever occur to you. Losing personal time because an airline oversold a plane is not fair to the passengers, so hopefully these changes will reduce the frequency.