Rep. Vasquez Calls on U.S. DOT to Restore Consumer Protections for Air Travelers Ahead of Peak Holiday Travel

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ahead of the upcoming peak in holiday travel, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM‑02) called on U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Pete Duffy to restore a rule that requires airlines to compensate travelers anywhere from $200 to $775 for flight delays and cancellations. 

The letter from Rep. Vasquez, Rep. Greg Stanton (AZ-04), and dozens of other Democratic lawmakers to the Secretary of Transportation noted that the rule they are seeking to restore would require “airlines to provide free meals, lodging and rebooking in cases where domestic flight changes were under the carrier’s control, such as a mechanical issue.” 

“This isn’t rocket science. Flights are expensive, and flight delays and cancellations are frustrating,” said Vasquez. “Many New Mexicans are out of luck and out of money when these preventable delays and cancellations happen, and they must be compensated, just as they would in any other industry. Let’s restore the rule and restore faith in air travel.”

This effort builds on Vasquez’s record of working to hold corporations accountable for rising costs and protecting hardworking New Mexicans from footing the bill. 

The Congressman’s demand that the DOT restore these consumer protections comes as air travelers face all-time record delays and air traffic controllers recover from shutdown staffing shortages nationwide. This week, an estimated 6 million Americans are projected to take domestic flights during the Thanksgiving travel period. 

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