AFTERNOON AND WE’LL JUST HOPE THE REST OF TODAY WE DON’T SEE
ANY FIRES FORMING.
>> YEAH. NO KIDDING. KNOCK WOOD
ON THAT. BILL KARINS, THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY
TONIGHT SAYS IT IS ALL FOR A NEW
RULE THAT PUTS COMPANIES ON THE
HOOK FOR A LOT MORE IF SOMETHING
GOES WRONG WHILE YOU’RE
TRAVELING. AND IF YOU’RE LIKE,
WELL, WAIT A SECOND. THAT’S NEW.
IT IS. IT’S BECAUSE THE AIRLINES
PUSHED BACK ON THIS SAME RULE
NOT TOO LONG AGO. BUT NOW
AIRLINES ARE REQUIRED. THEY DO
NOT HAVE A CHOICE. IT IS
MANDATORY THAT THEY GIVE YOU
YOUR MONEY BACK. IF YOUR FLIGHT
GETS REALLY DELAYED OR CANCELED.
EVEN IF YOU DON’T EXPLICITLY GO
AND ASK FOR A REFUND. AND
AIRLINES CAN’T JUST GIVE YOU
MONEY BACK IN THE FORM OF A
VOUCHER. IT’S GOT TO BE HOW YOU
PAID. IT’S A BIG MOVE HAPPENING
JUST A MONTH BEFORE THE
BEGINNING OF WHAT’S SUPPOSED TO
BE A HUGE HOLIDAY TRAVEL SEASON.
BUT THE TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY
ANNOUNCING THE RULE. PETE
BUTTIGIEG SAYS PASSENGERS
DESERVE TO GET THEIR MONEY BACK
WHEN IT’S OWED TO THEM WITHOUT
HEADACHES OR HAGGLING. IN A
STATEMENT TO NBC NEWS AIRLINES
FOR AMERICA SAYS THEY SUPPORT
THIS MOVE AND THAT THEY’RE HAPPY
TO ACCOMMODATE CUSTOMERS WITH A
REFUND IF THEY CHOOSE NOT TO
REBOOK. TOM COSTELLO IS JOINING
US NOW. KUMBAYA. TOM, WE’VE DONE
IT RIGHT. OH, BOY. EVERYBODY’S
PSYCHED TO GIVE CUSTOMERS THEIR
MONEY BACK, HUH? YEAH.
>> WHAT A CONCEPT. THE IDEA YOU
GET YOUR MONEY BACK, RIGHT? I
DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU. I HAVE I
HAVE STRUGGLED WITH AIRLINES
WHEN SUDDENLY I COULDN’T FLY OR
THEY DIDN’T GET ME TO WHERE I
NEEDED TO GO. I ASKED.
>> WELL, I ASKED FOR A REFUND.
>> INSTEAD. THEY GAVE ME A
CREDIT AND I GOT TO USE THE
CREDIT.
>> WITHIN A YEAR.
>> NO MORE. THAT’S OVER THE DOT
RULE TAKING EFFECT NOW. AND SO
OF COURSE, GOING INTO THE
HOLIDAY SEASON.
>> BOTTOM LINE HERE IS IF YOUR
FLIGHT IS DELAYED BY MORE THAN
THREE HOURS ON A DOMESTIC
FLIGHT, IF IT’S DELAYED BY MORE
THAN 12 HOURS OR 6 HOURS,
RATHER, ON AN INTERNATIONAL
FLIGHT, THEN YOU ARE ENTITLED TO
YOUR REFUND. NOW, YOU MAY
DECIDE, OH, I’M GOING TO TAKE
THE NEXT FLIGHT. OKAY, FINE.
>> YOU TAKE THE NEXT FLIGHT,
YOU’RE NOT GOING TO GET A
REFUND, BUT OTHERWISE YOU ARE
GOING TO GET A REFUND AND THE
AIRLINES HAVE TO OFFER IT UP
FRONT. NO MORE OF YOU TRYING TO
GO WITH YOUR HAT IN HAND TO TRY
TO GET YOUR REFUND.
>> THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO OFFER IT
WITHIN SEVEN DAYS, AND IT’S
SUPPOSED TO GO BACK ON THE
CREDIT CARD THAT YOU ORIGINALLY
PUT IT ON. SO NOT NECESSARILY
GIVING YOU A VOUCHER UNLESS YOU
WANT A VOUCHER.
>> BUT THIS HAS BEEN AS YOU
KNOW, FRUSTRATING FOR MANY, MANY
PASSENGERS OVER THE YEARS.
>> IS IT POSSIBLE THAT A RULE
LIKE THIS COULD BE CHALLENGED IN
COURT? COULD BE CHALLENGED ON
THE ROAD, COULD BE OVERTURNED?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I MEAN,
ANY RULE CAN BE CHALLENGED.
>> HOWEVER, THIS WENT THROUGH
THE ENTIRE VETTING PROCESS, WENT
THROUGH THE PUBLIC PERIOD,
COMMENT PERIOD. SO IT IS NOW IN
PLACE.
>> THIS RULE IS NOW IN PLACE.
>> AND AS YOU SAW FROM THE
STATEMENT FROM AIRLINES FOR
AMERICA, THE AIRLINES ARE ON
BOARD WITH THIS. AND BY THE WAY,
HALLIE JACKSON, IT IS NOT JUST
YOUR AIRLINE TICKET RIGHT.
>> YOU CAN ALSO GET A REFUND IF