Buttigieg offers tips on flight delays and cancelations during holiday travel

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg on Thursday touted the achievements his department has made over the last year and gave Americans pointers on air travel before they take off for the holiday season.

“This year we have seen some of the busiest air traffic days in U.S. history. And so far, this year, our aviation system has been handling the increased volume well,” Buttigieg said in a video posted to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “In fact, cancelations are lower than they were before the pandemic, and we’re pushing hard to keep it that way.”

Buttigieg highlighted the flightrights.gov government website, which outlines passengers’ rights, as well as giving a few examples.

Buttigieg said if passengers face delays or cancelations that are airlines’ responsibility, the Department of Transportation has secured “enforceable commitments” from the 10 largest airlines to cover expenses related to things such as rebooking and meals.

The department has created a dashboard that allows passengers to select an airline carrier and see which commitments the airlines have made in the event of delays or cancelations.

If a flight is canceled for any reason, Buttigieg said, passengers are entitled to a full cash refund.

“Our work as a watchdog has helped get over $2.5 billion returned from airlines to travelers,” he added.

He also said that many airlines have agreed to offer fee-free family seating. Buttigieg said the Department of Transportation is working to implement this practice across the board, to allow families to sit together free of charge.

So far, Alaska, American, Frontier and JetBlue airlines have all made commitments to offer fee-free family seating, according to the flightrights.gov website launched by the Department of Transportation. The airlines that have not committed to this offering include Allegiant, Delta, Hawaiian, Southwest, Spirit and United.

These changes come as Americans are expected to hit the roads and the skies this year at pre-pandemic-level highs. AAA predicts 115.2 million travelers will trek 50 miles or more over the 10-day year-end holiday period, including 103.6 million by road, 7.5 million by air and 4.05 million via another form of transportation.

The Transportation Security Administration said holiday air travel is expected to be busiest this Thursday, next Friday and New Year’s Day, with more than 2.5 million passengers traveling each of those days.

Meanwhile, according to transportation analysts at INRIX, Dec. 23 and Dec. 28 are expected to be the most congested days on the road.

“Nationwide, drivers could see travel times up to 20 percent longer this holiday season. In major metros, especially in Denver, Minneapolis, and Washington, DC, drivers could experience nearly double the typical delays,” said Bob Pishue, an INRIX analyst, in a AAA news release. “Avoid peak commuting hours and use traffic apps, local [Department of Transportation] notifications, and 511 services to minimize holiday travel traffic frustrations.”