The Trump administration has just scrapped a proposed rule that would have required airlines to compensate passengers in cash, meals, and hotel stays when flights are delayed or canceled for reasons within the airline’s control—like mechanical failures or computer outages.

The Biden-era policy would have brought the U.S. closer to what travelers in Europe already receive: real, enforceable rights when airlines fail to deliver on their promises.

Under the proposed rule, passengers could have received up to $775 in compensation for long delays, plus mandatory lodging and rebooking when stranded overnight.

But now that rule is gone—tossed aside under pressure from airline lobbyists who called it “burdensome.”

This isn’t just a policy debate—it’s about fairness. Travelers already face rising ticket prices, extra fees for everything from carry-ons to seat selection, and fewer customer service protections than ever before. And when flights get canceled, most passengers are left scrambling—often with no help unless they know to beg for it at the gate.

We, the undersigned, are calling on:

• The U.S. Department of Transportation to reinstate the dropped rule or replace it with an equivalent passenger protection policy
• Congress to codify airline accountability into law, so that no future administration can roll it back without a vote
• Lawmakers in both parties to defend basic consumer rights and stop airlines from writing their own rules. 

If you cancel a hotel reservation, there are penalties. If you cancel a concert ticket, you don’t get your money back. But when an airline cancels your flight? You often get nothing—and that has to change.