Trump is rolling back protections that kept away ‘junk’ fees when you fly. Here are the other changes

Trump is rolling back protections that kept away ‘junk’ fees when you fly. Here are the other changes The DOT is also changing a Biden-era policy that protects travelers from losing money on flight delays and cancellations - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in The Trump administration is rolling back U.S. airline passenger protections in a move consumer groups say favors airlines over consumers. The Department of Transportation is moving to ditch consumer-friendly regulations enacted under the Biden administration, including safeguards that protect flyers from misleading prices and hidden “junk” fees, as well as a rule that mandates cash compensation for disrupted flights, The New York Times reported. The apparent move has drawn ire from consumer groups, who argue the Trump team’s proposals favor airlines over travelers. “We’re in really new territory with consumer protection regulations,” Paul Hudson, the president of FlyersRights.org, one of the largest U.S. advocacy groups for air travelers, told the Times. “It’s shaping up to be a wholesale reversal of consumer protection for airline passengers.” Since Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy took office in January 2025, the department has ended several Biden-era policies. It has also not fined any domestic airlines for breaking the rules — something previous secretaries have said they used to hold airlines accountable, per the report. In a statement to the Times, a Transportation Department spokesperson said, “No passenger rights have been diminished.” The Independent has reached out to the department for comment. In June, the Department of Transportation dropped a Biden-era rule regarding hidden fees. The rule would require airlines to list additional charges consumers may face, like checked baggage fees, alongside the full fare during the booking process. Airlines sued in 2024 to block the rule, which a federal court later vacated on procedural grounds. A month later, the department proposed a change that would undo a 15-year-old requirement that airlines display a ticket’s final price in a larger font size than other parts of the price, like tax and fees. “The department proposed a common-sense adjustment to protect passengers from misleading price information by allowing parts of airfare, such as government taxes, to be displayed just as prominently as the total price, but not more so,” the department spokesperson told the Times, noting that public comments are currently being reviewed. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, sent a letter opposing the change to Duffy, writing that it would let airlines advertise “false or misleading ticket prices.” “If the rule is implemented, it is inevitable that more consumers will need to invest additional time searching for the full fare or government charges, and will be surprised by unexpected, mandatory fees,” Blumenthal wrote. The administration is also changing a Biden-era policy that protects travelers from losing money on flight delays and cancellations. The rule, which goes into effect October 19, will make it more difficult for travelers to receive compensation if their travel plans are upended, The Hill reported last month. Currently, flight disruptions can be tracked by the federal government, and the blame falls into one of four categories: Air carriers, extreme weather, the National Aviation System, security and late-arriving aircraft. Under the Biden administration's FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, the Department of Transportation required airline carriers to refund travelers whose flights were cancelled or significantly delayed. However, the Trump administration is now exempting the airlines from 10 types of flight disruptions that it deems “not within their control,” according to the Department of Transportation. Those ten cancellations or delays that can no longer be blamed on the airline include: - An aircraft that must be cleaned following the death of a passenger. - An aircraft is damaged by extreme weather, foreign object debris or sabotage. - A baggage or cargo loading delay is caused by an outage of a bag system that isn't controlled by an airline or one of its contractors. - A cyberattack causes the disruption and the airlines are in compliance with federal cybersecurity regulations. - A shutdown or system failure of government systems occurs that directly affects the ability of an airline to safely conduct flights and that is not expected. - A plane's brakes are overheated due to a safety incident in which emergency procedures were used. - Unscheduled maintenance that must be addressed before the next flight is necessary. - An emergency requiring medical attention that the airline has no control over occurs. - An unruly passenger must be removed from a flight. - An airport closes due to volcanic ash, wind or wind shear. According to the DOT, the changes will help the airlines save money and avoid reputational blows over incidents the companies cannot control. A DOT spokesperson said last month that by “[reducing] the negative reputational impacts and harm that air carriers currently experience because the attribution of certain delay and cancellation causes to air carriers that this rulemaking addresses as not within their control.” Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments [Image text:] American Spirit Air Canada Alaska Airlines Delta Frontier jetBlue-WestJet Gates A1-A15 Puertas A1-A15