Five Senate Democrats announced their intent Wednesday to introduce legislation that would mandate both airlines and third-party ticket sellers to fork out full cash refunds for all airline tickets cancelled during the ongoing global public health crisis.
The soon-to-be-released Cash Refunds for Coronavirus Cancellations Act would require airlines to provide cash reimbursements as an option outside of vouchers to pay back pandemic-induced travel cancellations—regardless of whether the airline or passenger cancelled—according to Sens. Ed, Markey, D-Mass., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Kamala Harris, D-Calif., who are all behind it.
“Americans need cash in their pockets to pay for food, housing, and prescriptions, not temporary credits toward future travel,” Markey said in a statement.
The administration began encouraging Americans to avoid discretionary travel and help slow the spread of COVID-19 in March. Airlines' revenue streams were significantly disrupted since the onset of the pandemic and, to help mitigate the strains, the industry as-a-whole received $25 billion in coronavirus aid through Congress’ $2 trillion stimulus bill. Reflecting on the multibillion-dollar bailout, Markey this week said, “It’s absolutely unconscionable that the airlines won’t give consumers their money back.”
Existing federal laws direct airlines to provide full refunds if their own companies cancel flights, but when travelers cancel on their own, most only receive their payments back in the form of vouchers ..
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