https://www.transportation.gov/brief...efunds-airline
Canceled or significantly changed flights: Passengers will be entitled to a refund if their flight is canceled or significantly changed, and they do not accept alternative transportation or travel credits offered. For the first time, the rule defines “significant change.” Significant changes to a flight include departure or arrival times that are more than 3 hours domestically and 6 hours internationally; departures or arrivals from a different airport; increases in the number of connections; instances where passengers are downgraded to a lower class of service; or connections at different airports or flights on different planes that are less accessible or accommodating to a person with a disability.
Significantly delayed baggage return: Passengers who file a mishandled baggage report will be entitled to a refund of their checked bag fee if it is not delivered within 12 hours of their domestic flight arriving at the gate, or 15-30 hours of their international flight arriving at the gate, depending on the length of the flight.
Not uncommon for non USA international airlines to not have a "checked bag fee". That is baggage in included in the base fare, and not a separate fee,
Other get "free" baggage due to status or holding a particular credit card
The final rule improves the passenger experience by requiring refunds to be:
- Automatic: Airlines must automatically issue refunds without passengers having to explicitly request them or jump through hoops.
- Prompt: Airlines and ticket agents must issue refunds within seven business days of refunds becoming due for credit card purchases and 20 calendar days for other payment methods.
- Cash or original form of payment: Airlines and ticket agents must provide refunds in cash or whatever original payment method the individual used to make the purchase, such as credit card or airline miles. Airlines may not substitute vouchers, travel credits, or other forms of compensation unless the passenger affirmatively chooses to accept alternative compensation.
- Full amount: Airlines and ticket agents must provide full refunds of the ticket purchase price, minus the value of any portion of transportation already used. The refunds must include all government-imposed taxes and fees and airline-imposed fees, regardless of whether the taxes or fees are refundable to airlines.
Currently non USA airlines that operate to/from USA must complete with USA DOT regulations.
People outside of USA can buy tickets that can include a USA airline. Oneworld alliance has RTW tickets that can include USA airlines, flights to USA and/or flights from USA. The requirement "
must automatically issue refunds without passengers having to explicitly request" would create chaos. If the RTW ticket auto cancel mid trip because of a 3:00hr delay would be hopeless and cause the passenger a massive increase in total trip cost.
The rules seem not to have EU extraordinary exceptions. Say with a massive storm or similar the airlines would still need to pay out. Airfares could rise the cover that. But cancelling-refund after 3hr could be a windfall for the airlines. After a storm(3hr) airlines cancel-refund all tickets, as required. Then raise fares 100% 200% 500% in the recovery, instead putting them on the next available flight, with no extra cost from the passenger.
The proposed rules are very USA domestic airline/flight centric. No consideration of how the international air travel market operates. And that many 1000's of people travelling by air in USA do not directly pay a USA airline.