The airline’s Wi-Fi service would soon have to reimburse its passengers if they don’t work during their flights, the Biden administration suggests.
The new proposal goes beyond dropped Wi-Fi connections during flights. It also plans to overhaul how travel search sites display their results.
(Photo: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
A cell tower disguised as a palm tree stands as an American Airlines plane lands at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in the Lennox area of Los Angeles, California January 19, 2022. – Telecom giants AT&T and Verizon started 5G data service for mobile phones In the US, flight operations were scaled back on Wednesday without major disruption following the launch of the new wireless technology.
A cell tower disguised as a palm tree stands as an American Airlines plane lands at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in the Lennox area of Los Angeles, California January 19, 2022. – Telecom giants AT&T and Verizon started 5G data service for mobile phones In the US, flight operations were scaled back on Wednesday without major disruption following the launch of the new wireless technology.
Airline Wi-Fi refunds may be required soon
According to the latest report from The Verge, the Biden administration’s new proposal requires airlines to reimburse certain services that become unusable during the flight.
For example, if the Wi-Fi connection doesn’t work during the flight, the new proposal requires airlines to refund their passengers.
As things stand at present, if the internet connection fails on board, passengers generally do not receive a refund. And instead, they just had to deal with it and forget it.
Some airlines return customers’ money when services like Wi-Fi are unreliable. But the Aviation Consumer Protection Agency says the process is more often frustratingly slow. The USDOT says the conclusion comes after examining a total of ten airlines.
The Verge points out that recent research shows that not only is Wi-Fi internet on flights typically slow, but it is also incredibly expensive.
According to a recent report by CNET, the new proposal would require airlines to issue refunds when their services are unavailable. It includes refunds for in-flight Wi-Fi connections that could not be used at all.
Also read: Hawaiian Airlines offers Starlink Internet WiFi on board when traveling across the Pacific
Biden administration proposal
But alongside the looming refunds for shaky internet, the new proposal also includes new consumer-friendly rules.
The Verge notes in its story that the new proposal is intended to provide more transparency when booking flights. In addition, travel should also become significantly more consumer-friendly.
(Photo: John Moore/Getty Images)
A free Wi-Fi hotspot broadcasts broadband internet from a public payphone July 11, 2012 in Manhattan, New York City.
A free Wi-Fi hotspot broadcasts broadband internet from a public payphone July 11, 2012 in Manhattan, New York City.
And to do that, travel search platforms will be required to be more transparent about what airlines are charging their customers. It suggests that any additional payment for perks like opting for a seat with more legroom is immediately disclosed.
US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg says that “airline passengers deserve to know the full, true cost of their flights before they buy a ticket.”
Buttigieg goes on to note that under the new rule proposed by the Biden administration, those airlines would now have to notify their customers of these additional fees.
He advertises that consumers can “make informed decisions and save money”.
Related article: Elon Musk’s Starlink shows impressive flight speeds of around 100 Mbit/s; Is this the best WiFi in the Cosmos?
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Written by Teejay Boris
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