1. United States
2. Wisc.
3. Letter

The proposed legislation from Senators Cruz and Cantwell, along with Representatives Graves and Larsen, to undermine automatic refunds for canceled or significantly delayed flights is a disservice to consumers. Airline passengers should not have to navigate bureaucratic hurdles and jump through hoops to receive refunds they are rightfully owed. The new Department of Transportation rule requiring airlines to automatically provide refunds is a reasonable consumer protection measure that holds airlines accountable and prevents them from evading their responsibilities. The United States already lags behind regions like the European Union when it comes to guaranteed compensation for disrupted air travel. Rather than further eroding passenger rights, we should be strengthening them to bring them in line with international standards. This proposed legislation would only benefit airline profits at the expense of average travelers who have already paid for a service they did not receive. Consumers deserve transparency, fairness, and respect from the airline industry. Forcing passengers to submit written requests and face potential obfuscation from airlines to obtain refunds for canceled flights is an unnecessary burden. The automatic refund rule should be maintained to ensure passengers receive prompt and hassle-free refunds when airlines fail to uphold their end of the deal. Opposing this misguided proposal protects consumer rights and holds airlines to a reasonable standard of accountability.