ISebe lezoThutho laseMelika (i-DOT) libhengeze izenzo zokunyanzeliswa kwembali ngokuchasene neenqwelomoya ezintandathu, ezithe zahlawula ngaphezulu kwesiqingatha seebhiliyoni zeedola kubantu ababenetyala lembuyekezo ngenxa yendiza erhoxisiweyo okanye etshintshe kakhulu. Ezi zohlwayo ziyinxalenye yomsebenzi oqhubekayo weDOT wokuqinisekisa ukuba abantu baseMelika bafumana imbuyiselo abayityala kwiinqwelo-moya.

Ukusukela ekuqaleni kobhubhane we-COVID-19, I-US DOT ifumene izandyondyo zezikhalazo kubahambi ngenqwelomoya malunga nokusilela kweenqwelo moya ukubonelela ngembuyekezo ngexesha elifanelekileyo emva kokuba iinqwelomoya zabo zirhoxisiwe okanye zatshintshwa kakhulu.

“Xa inqwelomoya irhoxisiwe, abakhweli abafuna ukubuyiselwa imali kufuneka babuyiselwe kwangoko. Nanini na ingenzeki loo nto, siza kubamba inqwelo moya egameni labahambi baseMelika kwaye sibuyisele abakhweli imali yabo. ” utshilo unobhala wezoThutho wase-US uPete Buttigieg. "Ukurhoxiswa kwenqwelomoya kuyakhathaza ngokwaneleyo, kwaye akufanelanga ukuba uhexize okanye ulinde iinyanga ukuze ufumane imbuyekezo."

Ukongeza kwimali engaphezulu kwe-600 yezigidi zeerandi zokubuyiselwa kweenqwelo moya, iSebe libhengeze namhlanje ukuba livavanya ngaphezulu kwe-7.25 yezigidi zeedola kwizigwebo zoluntu ngokuchasene neenqwelomoya ezintandathu ngenxa yokulibaziseka okukhulu ekuboneleleni ngembuyekezo. Ngezohlwayo zanamhlanje, iOfisi yeSebe yoKhuseleko lwabaThengi beenqwelomoya iye yavavanya i-8.1 yezigidi zeerandi kwizohlwayo zoluntu ngo-2022, esona sixa-mali sikhulu esakha sakhutshwa ngonyaka omnye yile ofisi. Uninzi lwezohlwayo ezivavanyiweyo ziya kuqokelelwa ngendlela yokuhlawula kwiSebe lezeMali, kwaye intsalela ifakwe kwisiseko seentlawulo zabakhweli ngaphaya kwemfuneko yomthetho. Iinzame zeSebe ziye zanceda ukukhokelela ekubeni amakhulu amawaka abakhweli abonelelwe ngaphezu kwesiqingatha seebhiliyoni zeerandi kwimbuyekezo efunekayo. ISebe lilindele ukukhupha imiyalelo eyongezelelweyo evavanya izohlwayo zoluntu ngenxa yokwaphulwa kokhuseleko lwabathengi kulo nyaka wekhalenda.

Izohlwayo ezivavanyiweyo kunye nembuyiselo efunekayo ebonelelweyo zezi:

Frontier - I-222 yezigidi zeerandi kwiimbuyekezo ezifunekayo ezihlawulweyo kunye ne-2.2 yezigidi zesohlwayo

I-Air India - i-121.5 yezigidi zeedola kwiimbuyekezo ezifunekayo ezihlawulweyo kunye nesohlwayo se-1.4 yezigidi zeedola

I-TAP yasePortugal - i-126.5 yezigidi zeedola kwiimbuyekezo ezifunekayo ezihlawulweyo kunye nesohlwayo se-1.1 yezigidi zeedola

I-Aeromexico-i-13.6 yezigidi zeedola kwimbuyekezo efunekayo ehlawulweyo kunye nesohlwayo se-900,000 yeedola

El Al - $ 61.9 yezigidi kwiimbuyekezo ezifunekayo ezihlawulweyo kunye nesohlwayo se-$ 900,000

I-Avianca - i-$ 76.8 yezigidi kwiimbuyekezo ezifunekayo ezihlawulweyo kunye nesohlwayo se-$ 750,000

Phantsi komthetho wase-US, iinkampani zeenqwelomoya kunye neearhente zamatikiti zinesibophelelo esisemthethweni sokubuyisela imali kubathengi ukuba inqwelomoya iyacima okanye itshintshe kakhulu inqwelomoya ukuya, ukusuka nangaphakathi eUnited States, kwaye umkhweli akafuni kwamkela enye indlela enikezelwayo. Akukho mthethweni ukuba inkampani yeenqwelo moya yale ukubuyiselwa imali kwaye endaweni yoko inike iivawutsha kubathengi abanjalo.

Izohlwayo ezibhengezwe namhlanje lelinye lamanyathelo amaninzi athatyathwa liSebe ukukhusela abathengi. Apha ngezantsi kukho amanyathelo ongezelelweyo enziwe yiDOT:

During the summer, the Department rolled out a new airline customer service dashboard to help consumers determine what they are owed when a flight is cancelled or delayed because of an airline issue. Previously, none of the 10 largest U.S. airlines guaranteed meals or hotels when a delay or cancellation was within the airlines’ control, and only one offered free rebooking. However, after Secretary Buttigieg called on airlines to improve their service and created this dashboard, nine airlines now guarantee meals and hotels when an airline issue causes a cancellation or delay and all 10 guarantee free rebooking. The Department will continue to work to increase transparency so Americans know exactly what the airlines are providing when they have a cancellation or delay.

The Department’s proposed rule on Airline Ticket Refunds, if adopted, would: 1) require airlines to proactively inform passengers that they have a right to receive a refund when a flight is canceled or significantly changed, and 2) define a significant change and cancellation that would entitle a consumer to a refund. The rule would also 3) require airlines to provide non-expiring vouchers or travel credits when people can’t travel because they have COVID-19 or other communicable diseases; and 4) require airlines that receive significant government assistance in the future related to a pandemic to issue refunds instead of non-expiring travel credits or vouchers when passengers are unable or advised not to travel because of a serious communicable disease. The Department invites the public to submit comment on this rulemaking by December 16, 2022. The Department’s Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee will publicly deliberate on the Department’s proposed rule on Airline Ticket Refunds and decide on recommendations to make to the Department at a virtual meeting on December 9, 2022.

The Department has proposed a rule that would significantly strengthen protections for consumers by ensuring that they have access to certain fee information before they purchase their airline tickets. Under the proposed rule, airlines and travel search websites would have to disclose upfront – the first time an airfare is displayed – any fees charged to sit with your child, for changing or cancelling your flight, and for checked or carry-on baggage. The proposal seeks to provide customers the information they need to choose the best deal. Otherwise, surprise fees can add up quickly and overcome what may look at first to be a cheap fare. DOT encourages members of the public and interested parties to submit comments by December 19, 2022.