What Michigan Residents Need to Know About Airline Travel on July 4th

Travel for the Fourth of July is in full gear, and customers should be aware of the changes that have occurred since December 2023, the last major travel month.

New consumer protection regulations released by the U.S. Department of Transportation in April have the potential to save travelers $500 million a year.

Compared to a few years ago, when Darron Cole took his final flight, the Detroit Metro Airport had just two delayed flights and no canceled flights as of Tuesday night.

“I got a really good ticket that I thought was too good to be true,” Cole stated. “Turns out it was too good to be true and my flight was delayed more than six hours.”

Cole added that although he wasn’t aware he should have requested for it, the airline his ticket was with declined to provide any compensation.

Despite the new compensation standards from the Department of Transportation, there is no set sum that needs to be provided.

The proprietor of Cadillac Travel Group in Southfield, David Fishman, stated, “That compensation is still not totally clear. You really have to be your own advocate and know what your own rights are.”

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When making travel arrangements, Fishman advises being informed about the variations in airline policy.

“If you search, you will find your rights,” Fishman stated. “You need to find out what those rights are so you can be prepared in the situation. That way you know what you deserve and and what you can ask for.”

Cole hoped he hadn’t had to discover this lesson the hard way.

“It was real inconvenient and I wish I would’ve known about the compensation differences,” Cole stated. “I would’ve pursued I just didn’t know.”

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