More confusion, less compensation? Trump administration moves to reduce airline passenger rights

But now there are a few more things adding to that stress — and they could end up costing you money.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy promised to usher in a “golden age” of transportation and remove government overreach when he was sworn in at the end of January 2025.

But that has resulted in a number of passenger rights being watered down or rolled back under the current Department of Transportation (DOT).

Currently, the DOT determines which flight-related events trigger compensation for airline passengers in the U.S. As of Oct. 19, as part of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, 10 more events will fall outside an airline’s control — which could impact your ability to get compensation.

And that’s not the only change. Here’s what you need to know.

What’s changing with passenger protections

In 2025, flight cancellations and delays both increased, “leading to the worst on-time performance since 2014,” according to a report by the U.S. PIRG Education Fund. That translates into about 1.66 million flights — nearly 1 in 4 of all flights — that didn’t arrive on time in 2025.

There’s no federal law that requires airlines to compensate passengers for events outside their control. However, airlines have committed to providing support or compensation based on what the DOT considers to be within their control.

Events like extreme weather, air traffic control issues or a threat to national security are typically considered outside of the airline’s control, meaning compensation isn’t required.

As of Oct. 19, 10 types of cancellations or delays will be considered beyond an airline’s control. This includes cancellations or delays related to a cyberattack, an unscheduled maintenance issue or even an unruly passenger that must be removed from a flight. It will be up to airlines to decide if they wish to compensate passengers impacted by these kinds of cancellations or delays.

The DOT itself has acknowledged that “the number of delays and cancellations for which air carriers provide amenities and compensation to consumers is expected to be reduced.”

There are other changes, too. In June, the DOT officially abandoned a Biden-era rule on hidden fees — following a lengthy legal battle — which would require airlines to display the full cost of a ticket upfront during booking, including fees for checked luggage, carry-on bags and ticket changes.

And, while past administrations have penalized airlines with hefty fines for impinging on passenger rights, such as misleading advertising about fares, no fines have been issued to any airline since Duffy took on his role as head of the DOT, according to The New York Times.

“We’re in really new territory with consumer protection regulations,” Paul Hudson, the president of FlyersRights.org, a U.S. advocacy group for air travelers, told the Times. “It’s shaping up to be a wholesale reversal of consumer protection for airline passengers.”

In a statement to the Times, a Transportation Department spokesperson dismissed the claims saying “no passenger rights have been diminished.”

What can you do to protect yourself?

In light of these changes, passengers may have fewer protections than they once had. However, it’s always been at the airline’s discretion as to whether they’d offer support or compensation for a particular disruption — and that hasn’t changed.

Each airline has what’s called a “contract of carriage,” which outlines its policies regarding delays, cancellations and compensation. It’s a good idea to get familiar with an airline’s contract of carriage before booking, rather than booking a flight based purely on the base fare.

The DOT provides an airline cancellation and delay dashboard, which shows which airlines have committed to providing a particular service — so it’s worth checking this before you book.

It’s also worth noting that “cash compensation was never an airline passenger right,” according to a statement from Airlines for America. Rather, it states that “airlines already provide automatic refunds if the passenger chooses not to be rebooked” regardless of whether a delay or cancellation is within the carrier’s control.