The new air traveler dashboard ushers in a more aggressive customer service regulator

 Just before Labor Day travelers take off for their Labor Day holiday, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg launched a new airline customer service dashboard (https://www.transportation.gov/flighthelp) that provides air travelers with a one-stop location for services and amenities they can expect when a flight cancellation or delay occurs that is deemed under the control of a U.S. airline. 

Amid complaints about airline customer service policies related to the pandemic and operational disruptions that continue to be experienced during the recovery, Secretary Buttigieg has urged airlines to adopt more customer-friendly policies. When he wrote to airline CEOs two weeks ago that he would be publishing their policies in a new dashboard, DOT reports that several airlines adopted, or made explicit, new customer-friendly policies such as guaranteeing hotel stays and meal vouchers for disruptions under the airline's control. The new dashboard appears to be a transparent and useful tool to help travelers navigate what can be a confusing set of policies that are often difficult to find. 

Together with a recent proposed rule that would define significant delays and cancelations that would entitle customers to refunds and clarify policies around communicable diseases and refunds and vouchers, these measures represent a step change in the U.S. DOT's approach to customer service (see: https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/part-ongoing-airline-consumer-protections-efforts-usdot-announces-new-rulemaking). Interestingly, some of the regulatory proposals and Secretary Buttigieg's public pronouncements link the new policies with the government assistance airlines received during the pandemic. This will be an issue to watch for airlines, airports, and other businesses that received COVID-related grants and loans.