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What do airlines owe you for flight delays, cancellations? New DOT dashboard will show you.

Eve Chen
USA TODAY

It's about to get easier to find out what airlines owe you when your flight is canceled or delayed.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is creating an interactive dashboard where travelers will be able to find "easy to-read, comparative summary information on the services or amenities that each of the large U.S. airlines provide when the cause of a cancelation or delay was due to circumstances within the airline’s control," according to a letter Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg sent to all U.S. airlines Thursday.

Existing Transportation Department rules require airlines to offer customers refunds if their flights are canceled for any reason, but policies on delays can be opaque, even though the information is required to be part of federally mandated Customer Service Plans.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaks in the Brady Briefing Room during the daily White House briefing on May 12, 2021, in Washington, D.C.

"When passengers do experience cancelations and delays, they deserve clear and transparent information on the services that your airline will provide, to address the expenses and inconveniences resulting from these disruptions," Buttigieg wrote.

The consumer dashboard is expected to be live on the department's Aviation Consumer Protection website by Friday, ahead of Labor Day weekend.

Nearly a quarter of domestic flights were delayed and just over 3% were canceled in the first half of this year, according to Buttigieg.

The Department of Transportation is seeking public comment on when airlines should be required to refund passengers whose flights are canceled or delayed.

"We are also contemplating options for rulemaking that would further expand the rights of airline passengers who experience disruptions," Buttigieg wrote. "The Department asks that airlines, at a minimum, provide meal vouchers for delays of 3 hours or more and lodging accommodations for passengers who must wait overnight at an airport because of disruptions within the carrier's control."

Disruptions due to severe weather, faulty equipment, air traffic control issues and other scenarios beyond airline control are handled differently, but refunds are still required to be offered for cancellations.

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