Did you see what Trump just pulled with the airlines? Back when Biden was in office, his DOT came up with this rule that would’ve finally held airlines accountable. If your flight got delayed for hours, or straight-up canceled because of something in their control, they’d have to pay you cash — anywhere from $200 up to $775. Plus, meals, hotel if you were stranded, even rebooking on another airline. Basically, the kind of protections Europe’s had for years.
Sounds fair, right? Nobody flying wants less protection. But last week, Trump’s DOT scrapped the whole thing. Said it didn’t line up with their “priorities.” Translation: protecting airline profits comes before protecting passengers.
And here’s where it gets shady. The airlines have been dumping millions into lobbying to fight this — over $13 million in 2023 alone. On top of that, American Airlines gave more than $130k to Trump’s campaign, and both United and Delta each cut $1 million checks to his inaugural fund. And then, boom — protections for passengers get tossed. The timing couldn’t look more crooked.
So now, we’re back to square one. No guaranteed payouts, no legal rights when they strand us, just whatever “goodwill” the airlines feel like showing. Which usually means a bag of pretzels and a half-hearted apology. Meanwhile, the airlines keep cashing in, and the politicians they bankroll make sure it stays that way.
