Airlines can do better
In a supreme bit of irony, the day after U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg met with airline leaders about the massive number of recent flight disruptions and cancellations, his own flight was canceled, forcing him to drive from Washington, D.C., to New York.
That underscores the frustration airline passengers have experienced. Ready and eager to travel at last as covid-19 fears have ebbed, passengers are finding themselves the victims of overbooking, delays and cancellations as airlines attempt to recoup lost revenue despite often severe staffing shortages magnifying the disruptions.
As Buttigieg told The Associated Press, “This is happening to a lot of people, and that is exactly why we are paying close attention here to what can be done and how to make sure that the airlines are delivering.”
The options, unfortunately, appear limited, although Buttigieg has said he is prepared to take enforcement action against airlines that underperform on customer service.
We get it. Everything has been more challenging since the pandemic began.
Airlines have been hit hard by a shortage of pilots, who can be especially difficult to replace given high training demands. It takes months to hire and train a pilot to meet federal safety standards.
Buttigieg has urged airlines to hire more customer service workers to rebook flights. But that does little good if there are no flights available for rebooking. Nevertheless, it’s time to take stock when disruptions become the norm instead of the exception. Passengers in European Union countries have had broad consumer protections in place since 2004. They include compensation when airlines delay or cancel a flight, and meals and hotel stays for overnight delays.
Airlines can’t control the weather, but what prevents them from booking a hotel for passengers otherwise stranded? Earlier this month, dozens of Delta passengers were stranded at the Atlanta airport, including a disabled U.S. Army veteran who said he had to sleep on the airport floor overnight and a young mother whose 11-month-old daughter was running out of diapers and formula.
We urge Buttigieg to keep the pressure on airline executives to do better.