Lately, the US Department of Transportation put into effect a couple of new regulations, one of which is bound to have some pretty longstanding consequences on airlines across the world. This regulation basically states that passengers are allowed to get a refund on any tickets that they cancel within 24 hours of booking them. Before you go and start booking tickets knowing that you can cancel them and get a refund though you should be aware that there are several conditions that come along with this new regulation.
Book a Ticket
For starters, it only applies to tickets that are canceled when the departure date is at least a week away. So if you were to book a ticket where the departure date is in 3 or 4 days’ time then you wouldn’t be able to cancel it and get a refund even within a 24-hour period. On the other hand, let’s say you were to book a ticket for a flight six months in advance because you felt that the offer was too good to pass up, but then later that same day you realized that you had some other plans for that period of time. If 24 hours haven’t passed yet, you could cancel the ticket and get a full refund.
Along with This New Rule, There are a few other Regulations That Also Affect Flights, Such as:
- Passengers must be notified immediately when any delays that are longer than half an hour take place, or any cancelations of flights occur
- Ticket prices cannot increase after they have been purchased by a passenger
- If the airline is charging fees for baggage those fees must be disclosed in advance when the passenger is booking the flight
- All advertisements for tickets need to include any mandatory tax in their listed price
On the whole, these regulations are all intended to benefit consumers and take care of a lot of the qualms that consumers have about ticket prices, cancelations, and hidden fees. Most are pretty much what you’d expect, and the only one that you should always keep in mind is that nowadays if you bought a ticket that you realize you can’t use then you have the right to cancel it within a 24-hour period.
Who knows when this particular regulation might come in handy – but it is worth keeping it in mind nonetheless. Considering you’re now abreast with the latest regulations that affect air travel you should be able to see that a lot of the ‘gray areas’ just got a whole lot clearer and the way things are looking you shouldn’t have to worry about much the next time you book a ticket.
