Airline Wi-Fi service would soon need to be refunded to its passengers when they fail to work during their flights, the Biden administration proposes.
The new proposal goes beyond broken in-flight Wi-Fi connections. It also seeks to revise how travel search websites are showing their results.
(Photo : PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
A cellular tower disguised as a palm tree stands as an American Airlines airplane lands at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in the Lennox neighborhood of Los Angeles, California on January 19, 2022. - Telecom giants AT&T and Verizon began 5G cell phone data service in the United States Wednesday without major disruptions to flights after the launch of the new wireless technology was scaled back.
A cellular tower disguised as a palm tree stands as an American Airlines airplane lands at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in the Lennox neighborhood of Los Angeles, California on January 19, 2022. - Telecom giants AT&T and Verizon began 5G cell phone data service in the United States Wednesday without major disruptions to flights after the launch of the new wireless technology was scaled back.
Airline Wi-Fi Refunds Might Soon Be Required
As per the latest report by The Verge, the new proposal from the Biden administration is looking to require Airlines to refund specific services that end up being unusable during flights.
For instance, if the Wi-Fi connection fails to work during the flight, the new proposal requires airlines to refund their passengers.
In the current scheme of things, when the in-flight internet connection goes janky, passengers usually do not receive any refunds. And instead, they just had to deal with it, and forget about it.
Some airlines give back the money of their customers when services like Wi-Fi are unreliable. However, the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection says that the process is more often frustratingly slow. The USDOT says that the conclusion comes after it has investigated a total of ten airlines.
The Verge highlights that recent research shows that the Wi-Fi internet on flights is not only typically slow, but they are staggeringly costly as well.
According to a recent report by CNET, the new proposal seeks to require airlines to give refunds when their services are unavailable. It includes refunds for in-flight Wi-Fi connections that were not usable in the first place.
Read Also: Hawaiian Airlines Offer Starlink Internet In-Flight WiFi on Travels Across the Pacific
Biden Administration Proposal
But besides the looming refunds for wonky internet, the new proposal also places new consumer-friendly rules.
The Verge notes in its story that the new proposal is looking to provide more transparency when booking flights. But on top of that, it also seeks to make traveling much more consumer-friendly.
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A free Wi-Fi hotspot beams broadband internet from atop a public phone booth on July 11, 2012 in Manhattan, New York City.
A free Wi-Fi hotspot beams broadband internet from atop a public phone booth on July 11, 2012 in Manhattan, New York City.
And to do so, it seeks to require travel search platforms to be more transparent in disclosing what airlines are charging their customers. It proposes that any additional payment for perks like opting for a seat with better legroom be disclosed right away.
The United States 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 further notes that under the new rule proposed by the Biden administration, these airlines would now have to tell their customers about these extra fees.
He touts that this would allow consumers to make "informed decisions and save money."
Related Article: Elon Musk's Starlink Shows Impressive Airline Speeds of About 100Mbps; Is This The Best WiFi in Cosmos?
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Written by Teejay Boris
