Attorney General James Releases Statement on Biden Administration Rule Protecting Airline Passengers

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today released the following statement in response to new rules announced by President Joe Biden’s administration requiring airlines to compensate passengers for cancellations or significant delays:  

“Millions of Americans have been inconvenienced because airlines have overbooked flights, refused to secure adequate staffing, or otherwise failed to ensure they can take off and land when they promised. That is why I urged the U.S. Department of Transportation to take action and hold airlines accountable, and that is why I am thrilled that President Biden is addressing this problem. New Yorkers, and all Americans, deserve to know that airlines will live up to their promises, and pay the consequences when they are at fault for cancellations and delays.” 

Attorney General James has been a leader on standing up for consumers, and has been outspoken on the need to ensure airline companies provide quality services for New Yorkers and all Americans. Airline cancellations, poor service, and costly delays were one of the top ten complaints made by New York consumers in 2022. In August 2022, Attorney General James called on the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to take action to address widespread airline cancelations and delays, which have disrupted travel plans for millions of consumers. In September 2021, Attorney General James urged DOT to take action to end airline “slot-squatting,”which is a practice where airlines occupy flight slots at airports but under-utilize them, holding on to slots simply to prevent them from being used by their competitors, thereby inconveniencing consumers.