'Passenger bill of rights' could be getting renewed interest after holiday travel nightmare
TAMPA, Fla. - The holiday air travel meltdown reignited interest in more rights for airline passengers.
A U.S. senator from Connecticut tried to get a passenger bill of rights off the ground in 2021, but it didn’t go far. Now he’s bringing it back after the air travel chaos in the wake of the winter storm that halted planes across the country and forced a cascade of issues for Southwest Airlines.
There were a few flight delays at Tampa International Airport Tuesday due to weather after the New Year’s holiday.
READ: 'Luggage Angel' helps dozens of Tampa International Airport travelers find their bags
"There’s some big blizzards going back on Minnesota, kind of like the whole Midwest region," said Jack Niemeier, a Delta Air Lines passenger.
But more flights are on time after a chaotic holiday travel season, especially for Southwest Airlines.
"Their employees put up with a lot of nonsense from angry customers. It's the leadership. They failed their employees with their horribly and horrible system. Whatever it is, they failed," said Louis Ricardo, a Tampa Bay area resident who flew Southwest Airlines.
Ricardo returned home early Tuesday morning going straight into work after dealing with his own travel nightmare on Southwest. He and his wife went through a chain reaction of delays and cancelations, sleeping overnight in the Denver airport before arriving in Nebraska to see their grandchildren for Christmas.
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"So, we finally made it to up to Omaha, Nebraska. Some picked us up. And lo and behold, we had no luggage," said Ricardo.
Those hiccups are all coming front and center in a proposed airline passenger bill of rights. In 2021, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal introduced the bill to Congress, but it stalled in a committee.
"They know they can do what they want. And so, I think a bill of rights is absolutely dead on. You know, we need to have somewhere we can go to defend ourselves and our rights," said Ricardo.
The proposed bill looks to do several things for airline passengers, including protecting passengers from involuntarily giving up their seats and compensating for delayed or canceled flights, something Tampa dealt with Tuesday.
"I checked the screen where is my gate and it says the flight’s delayed the minute I walk into the airport," said Svitlana Goncharenko, a Delta Air Lines passenger.
MORE: After thousands of cancelations, how can Southwest Airlines regain trust?
Goncharenko, a frequent flyer for leisure and work, said the U.S. can do more.
"In Europe there’s a total system, for example they give you a food voucher or compensation. Recently I traveled to Paris and I missed my flight, and they gave me compensation of almost $800," said Goncharenko.
So until more options are out there, travelers like Ricardo offer this advice.
"I would say be informed of your own tracking system and have your numbers down and know who to call because you're going to have to take care of yourself," said Ricardo.
Ricardo said he and his wife stayed without their luggage during their whole trip and had to get reimbursed for clothing and toiletries, but they were able to get their bags returned to them.
As for the airline passenger bill of rights, the public will have to wait and see if it gets any traction during the new session of Congress.