Senators criticize US airlines over voucher expiration dates

Two senators on Monday criticized seven major US airlines for failing to make all pandemic-related flight credits valid indefinitely and vowed to pursue legislative or regulatory actions in response. Democrats Edward Markey and Richard Blumenthal said the airlines trade group had "refused to offer any commitment to expand cash refund policies or eliminate expiration dates for pandemic-related flight credits." The lawmakers said the airlines “continue to sit on more than $10 billion in unused flight credits and are still refusing to return consumers’ hard-earned money, more than a year after the pandemic began.” Without removing expiration dates, "your company may be encouraging travelers to fly before they feel safe boarding a plane, lest they lose tickets that they have already purchased," they added. On Friday, trade group Airlines for America representing American Airlines, United, Delta, Southwest and others told the senators in a letter that major US airlines issued $12.84b in cash refunds to customers in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic upended the travel industry. Airlines have faced criticism over their handling of redemptions for flights canceled during the pandemic. In the letter, Nicholas Calio, the group's CE, said US airlines had maintained a steadfast commitment to the traveling public during the pandemic and issued refunds in accordance with all federal laws and regulations.<br/>