Last week, hundreds of flights were cancelled due to the Mid-Atlantic snow storm that hit Chicago, Boston, New York, and Washington D.C. among others. These weather-related cancellations may become more frequent, due to a new law passed by the Department of Transportation in December.
The law forbids airlines to keep passengers waiting on the tarmac for a “lengthy” period of time, which has been defined as three or more hours, and it was passed to protect traveler’s rights to respect. If a long delay on the tarmac occurs, the airline has to pay a fee of $27,500 per passenger – which amounts to $2.75 million on a 100-passenger flight.
Cancellations simply cost less, since seats are prepaid, and airlines save on the unused fuel, USA Today reports.
Five years ago, the average amount of flights cancelled per year was 254. Now, the number has crept to 1,223, and last week’s cancellations – more than 15,000- showcase the airlines’ new stance.
