Donald Trump keeps saying he wants to make life better for everyday Americans. But when you look at what he actually does, it feels like he keeps making choices that hurt regular people and help big companies and wealthy executives instead.
His newest move does exactly that. He has officially ended a rule created during Joe Biden’s presidency. This rule would have forced airlines to pay you money if your flight was delayed or canceled. The starting amount would have been 200 dollars and it could go up to 775 dollars if your delay lasted more than nine hours.
This idea was meant to match what already happens in Europe. Over there, if your flight gets delayed, canceled, overbooked or you miss a connection that is not your fault, the airline must compensate you. People in Europe can get up to 700 dollars for delays. They can also get a full refund when flights are canceled. On top of that, airlines must take care of passengers by giving meals, drinks and even hotel rooms if the delay goes overnight.
You were about to get those same rights in the United States. But the Trump Transportation Department backed off after strong pressure from airline companies. They officially removed the proposal this month. A spokesperson said that these rules would raise ticket prices and affect safety. But the simple truth is that paying passengers for airline mistakes costs the companies money. And big airlines would rather keep that money for themselves and their executives.
There is another side to this. If airlines had to pay compensation, they would try harder to avoid delays. That is exactly what happens in Europe. Airlines there know that if they mess up, they have to pay every passenger on the flight. So they take customer happiness more seriously.
So the next time you are stuck at the airport looking at the board and you see the word “canceled” next to your flight, remember who stopped you from getting compensated. If this rule had gone through, you could have gotten your ticket money back, a good payout and even a hotel room if you needed to stay overnight. But now you get nothing. You just sit there, exhausted, trying to nap on the cold airport floor while the cleaning staff sweeps around you.
