Amid Labor Day weekend travel surge, airlines promise better customer service

A man sleeps on the terminal floor at Hartfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Dec. 18, 2017, in Atlanta. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has warned airlines that his department could draft new rules around passenger rights if the carriers don’t give more help to travelers trapped by flight cancellations and delays. The Transportation Department on Friday, Aug. 19, 2022, released a copy of the letters, which it said were sent to CEOs of the major U.S. airlines, their regional affiliates, and budget carriers. (AP Photo John Amis, File)

As we head into the last busy travel weekend of summer, several major airlines are promising to deliver better customer service, especially if they can’t deliver you to your destination on time, including providing meals and hotel rooms to those passengers stranded by significant flight delays or cancellations when those disruptions are the airlines’ fault.

The airlines, including Alaska, American, Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest and United, are committing to the customer service improvements just as the U.S. Department of Transportation rolls out a new website on Thursday that will allow air travelers to see what they’re legally entitled to when an airline cancels or significantly delays their flight. They’ll also be able to compare airlines’ customer service policies side by side.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told NPR in an interview last week that this summer’s air travel chaos, with widespread flight delays and cancellations, is prompting the action.