US says airlines commit to 'significant changes' to customer service plans

The Transportation Department said Thursday the largest US airlines had made "significant changes" to customer service plans with nearly all agreeing to offer passengers meals and overnight stays for delays within their control. Reuters first reported Wednesday many of the changes to the customer service plans that came after Secretary Pete Buttigieg told airlines on Aug. 19 that he would publish a "dashboard" comparing customer protections airlines were committing to offer ahead of the busy US Labor Day travel weekend. USDOT said the changes came after Buttigieg's urging -- and 9 of the 10 largest US airlines made "significant changes to their plans to improve services provided to passengers." The 10 largest carriers account for 96% of domestic flights. Airlines have canceled or delayed tens of thousands of flights this summer as they cut flights and struggled to ramp up staffing as demand returned from historic lows that resulted from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.Buttigieg said in the first six months, roughly 24% of US airlines domestic flights were delayed and 3.2% were canceled. <br/>