Policy Action Center

The Travel Tech Policy Action Center provides updates about key legislation impacting the travel technology industry. It also offers industry members a means to communicate directly with their elected representatives and show support for key travel tech public policy priorities.

Tell Your Senator to Include a Critical Ticket Agent Airline Ticket Refund Provision in Senate’s FAA Reauthorization Bill

While the U.S House of Representatives has now passed its version of the FAA Reauthorization legislation (H.R. 3935), the U.S. Senate continues to work on its bill, S.1939 — the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2023. We have an opportunity to convince Senate leaders to add a critical airline ticket refund provision to it, but we need your help!

Background:

In late 2022, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) proposed the Airline Ticket Refunds and Consumer Protections rulemaking, requiring ticket agents to issue customer refunds within seven days, even if the airlines had not yet returned the funds. As you likely know all well, ticket agents – no matter their size – are not in a fiscal position to provide refunds without first receiving the funds back from the airlines!

Due to Travel Tech’s advocacy, the House version of the FAA Reauthorization included a critical and commonsense provision requiring a refund only when the ticket agent possesses or has access to the passenger’s funds. However, the Senate’s bill leaves it up to the U.S. Department of Transportation to decide.

Tell your Senator to protect ticket agents and add a provision to require a refund only when the ticket agents possess or have access to the passenger’s funds to the Senate’s FAA Reauthorization legislation.