Right wingnuts are furious at Pete Buttigieg again. This time they’re upset with him for, wait for it, making it easier for travelers to get refunds on canceled flights.
The 42-year-old Transportation Secretary just announced new federal rules that say airline customers are entitled to automatic cash refunds, not vouchers or travel credits, whenever an airline screws up.
“From now on, when your flight is canceled for any reason, you are entitled to an automatic cash refund and it has to be prompt,” he told CNN today.
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“If you get delayed significantly, that means three hours domestically, six hours internationally, or if there’s another significant change to your itinerary–like maybe you were going to go into one airport, they actually changed the airport on you or something like that–you’re going to get your money back.”
Sounds fair to us!
The new rules also require airlines are more transparent about about fees for baggage, seating upgrades, or changing flights (a.k.a. “junk fees”), as well as issue refunds on fees for bags that arrive more than 12 hours late on domestic flights or 15 to 30 hours late on international flights. Refunds must also be issued for in-flight WiFi fees if the internet goes down mid-flight, and upgraded seat fees if the seats are no longer available at boarding time.
In other words, airlines will actually have to provide the goods and services they charge people for. Also, no more hidden fees!
This morning, Buttigieg posted a short video on social media detailing the new rules and explaining how they are expected to save travelers $500 million a year in junk fees alone.
But not everyone’s happy about the changes.
Trolls immediately flooded his Twitter X page, furious with him for working to protect consumers and ensure fair treatment when it comes to airline fees and refunds.
“You are the poster child for why DEI hires are a bad idea,” one person remarked.
“I bet you’ve got a bridge in Baltimore you’d also like to sell us,” another quipped.
“Can Americans get their refunds from the illegal immigrants being brought into America using OUR tax dollars? Those were surely some hidden, unwanted, expensive airline fees,” one particularly racist person commented.
“You are a complete failure,” someone else said.
The feigned outrage isn’t surprising, however. Right wingnuts have been going after Buttigieg since his very first day on the job, furious that an out and proud gay man is heading the Transportation Department. Even more egregious is the fact that he’s actually doing a pretty good job at it.
Related:
Republicans keep coming for Pete Buttigieg & it keeps blowing up in their faces
This time, Pete Buttigieg is being criticized for relatively benign comments he made on MSNBC about D.C.’s falling crime rates.
The new rules were created in direct response to the nearly 50,000 complaints the DOT received in 2022, more than double the amount it received in 2021, about flight disruptions and refunds.
One of the biggest complaints was about airlines giving noncash flight credits on canceled flights that expired before travelers could redeem them, or requiring people sit on customer service phone lines for ridiculous amounts of time to get their money back.
Thanks to Buttigieg, that won’t be happening anymore. You can read the complete list of new rules here. Happy flying! ✈️
Bosch
So when Karens get what they want, they flip their Karening?
abfab
Long live Karen Carpenter!
abfab
Go Pete, go! Love u.
Mister P
Does anyone ever read the comments awaiting moderation?
abfab
They’re on strike.
LumpyPillows
LOL. No. Good luck.
abfab
Keebler elves.
Jim
Pete we love you
dbmcvey
This is great, but there are some commenters on this site who will still have problems with it.
Fahd
Some people don’t want the facts to interfere with their dislike for someone.
bachy
Sweet Pete!
abfab
The king of Delancey Street!
Mister P
Why are my fabulous comments being moderated. No one makes better comments than I do.
still_onthemark
Alas, we’ll never see how good they are.
dbmcvey
Shockingly, it’s not about you.
Chrisk
I seriously doubt any of them have flown for many years. Unless you count meth and moonshine.
nebskram
Meth & Moonshine i kinda remember those days. lol i will say good times till they weren’t.
marshal phillips
Pete makes it easier for air travelers to get cash refunds and bigots complain.
Who knew?
Kangol2
Great policy move. TYSPB.
ShaverC
He hasn’t given us anything new, you were always entitled to a cash refund if the airline cancelled your flight.
dbmcvey
Surprise!
dbmcvey
This is who the title is referring to.
abfab
Log Cabin Shaver has the hots for Peter.
inbama
I wonder if he’s read the Cass report.
abfab
You’re tired.
dbmcvey
Did you know that the Dr who wrote the Cass report worked with DeSantis?
dbmcvey
Also, what does the Cass report have to do with airline ticket refunds?
still_onthemark
db, grasping at straws.
LumpyPillows
Completely off topic.
abfab
Wonderbama strikes again.
dbmcvey
Really still, so tell me what this has to do with the Cass report and deny that she worked with DeSantis.
inbama
I can’t as I’m being “moderated.”
cranberrytaste
Neutral sources for the report.
cranberrytaste
See also: Didn’t work. Advised.
abfab
imbama……….you and the other repub lican t r o l l s made moderators take note.
dbmcvey
Inbama, are you admitting that you and still are the same person?
LumpyPillows
Everyone should like these changes. Everyone. Nice job Pete.
abfab
He’s a very good man.
dbmcvey
Absolutely! Anyone who has tried to get a refund from an airline will thank him. Even if you get it in the end they do not make it easy.
inbama
“Even if you get it in the end they do not make it easy.”
Hm.
dbmcvey
Yeah inbama. That was for you.
abfab
Instead of maturing, inbama goes in the opposite direction.
inbama
I thought that was on your level.
Still too sophisticated?