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US to require airlines to refund fees for checked bags if luggage arrives late

Airline luggage
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The Biden administration is planning to require that airlines refund fees on checked baggage if the bags get seriously delayed.

The proposal would also require refunds for fees on extras like internet access if the airline fails to provide the service during the flight.

An administration official says the Transportation Department will issue the proposal in the next several days, and it could take effect by next summer.

According to the Associated Press, current regulations only require airlines to refund fees for checked bags if the luggage gets lost. However, airlines are required to compensate passengers for "reasonable" incidental expenses.

The AP also reports that the federal government received more than 100,000 complaints about airline service last year, with airlines' refusal to give refunds for flights canceled because of the pandemic being travelers' biggest gripe.

Airlines made nearly $5.8 billion from checked-bag fees in 2019, the last year before the pandemic crushed air travel.