US denda 6 maskapai $ 7.25 yuta kanggo nolak mbalekaken pelanggan

Departemen Perhubungan AS (DOT) ngumumake tumindak penegakan bersejarah marang enem maskapai, sing sacara kolektif mbayar luwih saka setengah milyar dolar kanggo wong sing duwe utang maneh amarga penerbangan sing dibatalake utawa diganti kanthi signifikan. Denda iki minangka bagean saka tugas DOT kanggo mesthekake yen Amerika nampa pembayaran maneh sing kudu dibayar saka maskapai.

Wiwit awal pandemi COVID-19, AS DOT wis nampa banjir keluhan saka lelungan udhara babagan kegagalan maskapai nyedhiyakake pembayaran pas wektune sawise penerbangan kasebut dibatalake utawa diganti kanthi signifikan. 

"Yen penerbangan dibatalake, penumpang sing njaluk mbalekaken kudu dibayar maneh. Yen ora kedadeyan, kita bakal tumindak supaya maskapai tanggung jawab kanggo wong sing lelungan Amerika lan entuk dhuwit kanggo para penumpang. ujare Sekretaris Perhubungan AS Pete Buttigieg. "Pembatalan penerbangan cukup frustasi, lan sampeyan uga ora kudu tawar-menawar utawa ngenteni pirang-pirang wulan kanggo njaluk mbalekaken." 

Saliyane luwih saka $ 600 yuta ing mbayar maneh Airlines wis mbayar maneh, Departemen announced dina sing netepake luwih saka $ 7.25 yuta ing paukuman sipil marang enem Airlines kanggo telat nemen ing nyedhiyani mbalekaken. Kanthi denda saiki, Kantor Perlindhungan Konsumen Penerbangan Departemen wis netepake denda sipil $8.1 yuta ing taun 2022, jumlah paling gedhe sing tau diterbitake ing setaun dening kantor kasebut. Mayoritas denda sing ditaksir bakal diklumpukake ing bentuk pembayaran menyang Departemen Perbendaharaan, lan sisane dikreditake adhedhasar pembayaran kanggo penumpang sing ngluwihi syarat sah. Upaya Departemen kasebut wis nulungi atusan ewu penumpang sing diwenehake luwih saka setengah milyar dolar kanggo mbalekaken sing dibutuhake. Departemen ngarepake bakal ngetokake pesenan tambahan kanggo netepake paukuman sipil kanggo pelanggaran perlindungan konsumen ing taun tanggalan iki. 

Denda sing ditaksir lan mbalekaken sing dibutuhake yaiku: 

• Punjab - $222 yuta ing mbalekaken dibutuhake mbayar lan $2.2 yuta paukuman 

• Air India - $ 121.5 yuta kanggo mbalekaken sing dibutuhake lan denda $ 1.4 yuta 

• TAP Portugal - $ 126.5 yuta kanggo mbalekaken sing dibutuhake lan denda $ 1.1 yuta 

• Aeromexico - $13.6 yuta kanggo mbalekaken sing dibutuhake lan denda $900,000 

• El Al - $61.9 yuta kanggo mbalekaken sing dibutuhake lan denda $900,000 

• Avianca - $76.8 yuta kanggo mbalekaken sing dibutuhake lan denda $750,000 

Miturut hukum AS, maskapai lan agen tiket duwe kewajiban hukum kanggo mbalekake maneh konsumen yen maskapai kasebut mbatalake utawa ngganti penerbangan menyang, saka lan ing Amerika Serikat, lan penumpang ora pengin nampa alternatif sing ditawakake. Iku ora sah kanggo maskapai nolak mbalekaken lan malah menehi voucher kanggo konsumen kuwi.  

Denda sing diumumake dina iki minangka salah sawijining langkah sing ditindakake Departemen kanggo nglindhungi konsumen. Ing ngisor iki ana tindakan tambahan sing ditindakake DOT: 

• During the summer, the Department rolled out a new airline customer service dashboard to help consumers determine what they are owed when a flight is cancelled or delayed because of an airline issue. Previously, none of the 10 largest U.S. airlines guaranteed meals or hotels when a delay or cancellation was within the airlines’ control, and only one offered free rebooking. However, after Secretary Buttigieg called on airlines to improve their service and created this dashboard, nine airlines now guarantee meals and hotels when an airline issue causes a cancellation or delay and all 10 guarantee free rebooking. The Department will continue to work to increase transparency so Americans know exactly what the airlines are providing when they have a cancellation or delay. 

• The Department’s proposed rule on Airline Ticket Refunds, if adopted, would: 1) require airlines to proactively inform passengers that they have a right to receive a refund when a flight is canceled or significantly changed, and 2) define a significant change and cancellation that would entitle a consumer to a refund. The rule would also 3) require airlines to provide non-expiring vouchers or travel credits when people can’t travel because they have COVID-19 or other communicable diseases; and 4) require airlines that receive significant government assistance in the future related to a pandemic to issue refunds instead of non-expiring travel credits or vouchers when passengers are unable or advised not to travel because of a serious communicable disease. The Department invites the public to submit comment on this rulemaking by December 16, 2022. The Department’s Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee will publicly deliberate on the Department’s proposed rule on Airline Ticket Refunds and decide on recommendations to make to the Department at a virtual meeting on December 9, 2022. 

• The Department has proposed a rule that would significantly strengthen protections for consumers by ensuring that they have access to certain fee information before they purchase their airline tickets. Under the proposed rule, airlines and travel search websites would have to disclose upfront – the first time an airfare is displayed – any fees charged to sit with your child, for changing or cancelling your flight, and for checked or carry-on baggage. The proposal seeks to provide customers the information they need to choose the best deal. Otherwise, surprise fees can add up quickly and overcome what may look at first to be a cheap fare. DOT encourages members of the public and interested parties to submit comments by December 19, 2022.