Despite the national debate raging about whether airline passengers should be protected by a federal "passengers' bill of rights," Florida is considering its own measure. A bill has been introduced in that state's legislature that would require airlines to compensate passengers when their flights are canceled or delayed by more than an hour, reports FLORIDA TODAY/AP.
"A passenger would be entitled to use the ticket at a later date, or to get full reimbursement plus whatever the airline normally charges as a penalty for changing a ticket," the paper writes. "They (the airlines) would pay you the same amount of money that they would charge you if you had to change your flight," says the state Sen. Mike Bennett, a Republican from Florida who is sponsoring the measure.
Most airlines charge customers a fee for changing their tickets. Those fees range from $25 at airlines like JetBlue to $100 on big airlines like American and United. Southwest is the exception, not charging any change fee. "It's really an issue of fairness," Bennett says to The Ledger of Lakeland, Fla. The bill (SB 316) received unanimous approval from Florida's Senate Commerce Committee, but still must clear two other committees before it makes it to the Senate floor. AP adds: "Bennett acknowledged it may be questionable whether a state can dictate pricing rules to an airline, but asked the committee to send a message to the airlines by approving the bill anyway."
This could get interesting.......
"A passenger would be entitled to use the ticket at a later date, or to get full reimbursement plus whatever the airline normally charges as a penalty for changing a ticket," the paper writes. "They (the airlines) would pay you the same amount of money that they would charge you if you had to change your flight," says the state Sen. Mike Bennett, a Republican from Florida who is sponsoring the measure.
Most airlines charge customers a fee for changing their tickets. Those fees range from $25 at airlines like JetBlue to $100 on big airlines like American and United. Southwest is the exception, not charging any change fee. "It's really an issue of fairness," Bennett says to The Ledger of Lakeland, Fla. The bill (SB 316) received unanimous approval from Florida's Senate Commerce Committee, but still must clear two other committees before it makes it to the Senate floor. AP adds: "Bennett acknowledged it may be questionable whether a state can dictate pricing rules to an airline, but asked the committee to send a message to the airlines by approving the bill anyway."
This could get interesting.......
