Originally Posted by
Spent_All_My_Miles
DOT - thanks for doing this.
I regularly notice situations where an airline knows that departure/arrival information is outdated but is clearly delaying communicating it to passengers.
Airlines may have a reason to do so -- they might know that there is a delay, but not the precise length -- but I think most passengers would prefer an announcement like "there is a delay of at least X minutes but we don't know the exact length yet" to no announcement at all.
When a flight is 5 minutes from scheduled departure, the inbound aircraft has not yet arrived, it is clear that the airline has know of a delay for some time but communicated nothing.
Is there anything in implemented rules, rules in progress, or matters under study, that addresses this or other such situations?
Thanks.
In reply to Spent_All_My_Miles (1:38pm, #30):
DOT currently requires airlines, within 30 minutes after the airline becomes aware of a schedule change, to notify passengers of known cancellations, diversions, and delays of 30 minutes or more. Under DOT rules, the flight status change must be updated on the airline’s website, at the gate, over the reservation phone line upon inquiry, and through texts, emails, or voice message if the airline provides a subscription service through these method for flight status change notification. Airlines must timely update the flight status display boards at airports that are under their control. Our goal is to ensure that passengers and others are notified of significant flight status changes so they can adjust their travel plans as needed.