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Department of Transportation watchdog to investigate flight cancellations and delays

Welcome back from severe weather to staff shortages to just outdated computer systems. We’ve seen anything can cause delays and cancelations at the airport. Remember what happened over the holidays? Thousands of flights canceled millions of you stuck. But we’re learning from it here to show us what to do and how to get your money back. That’s huge from the airlines. Kristen powers from our powerhouse hurst T. V station W. T. ***. In Pittsburgh is here. Thanks for being here. All right. So the savings and the help starts before you even bow. Yeah. So if you want to avoid delays or cancelations, pro tip is going to be book the earliest flight you can travel app. Hopper actually says any flight booked before nine a.m. So if you’re flying out after nine AM twice as likely to get delayed or canceled. So you don’t want that because the weather rolls in later plus the later you are in the day, the less options they have to get you out that day. Yeah, exactly. All right. So, what happens if you’re at the airport and your flight is canceled? Yeah. So the biggest thing is going to be too much task. You find out your flight, you get that alert that it’s delayed or canceled. Head to the line to talk to the ticket agent in order to re book that. But while you’re standing in line actually call them, call the airline as you’re waiting there, it’s first come first serve. So whoever you get *** hold of first, that’s going to be key. So don’t do one or the other and by the way also be on your app I guess right on your app. Most airlines now have an app. Sometimes you can even re book on the app or at *** kiosk at the airport, you don’t even need to talk to anyone. And the D. O. T. The Department of Transportation actually has *** website right where you can actually check to see what they owe you. Yeah, take *** look at your screen. So I want to show you this, this is *** dashboard created by the Department of Transportation. It is transportation dot gov. You can go there and search by airline to see what they’re going to do for you. If your flight gets canceled. For example getting you *** hotel, giving you *** food voucher or even letting you rebooked on another airline, it lays it out beautifully for you. So even before you book you can say, hey what airline do I think I want to travel with God. And so how do you get *** refund? What’s the best way to get *** refund from these airlines? And by the way, if they lose your bags more specifically. So I know *** lot of you have that question, if they lose my bag, how do I get my money? Yeah, it happens to *** lot of people you get to your destination and then your bag is not there. So you’re going to want to file *** missing bag claim that is going to be with the airline. And then if you have to buy anything during that time, you don’t have your bags necessities. You’re gonna want to keep your receipts *** lot of airlines, for example, Delta will give you $50 for the first five days. So $50 *** day for any necessities. Of course you have to up from that money. Another tip. If the airline, you know being difficult, not going to help you out there. If you booked with, if you booked with your credit card, they can also give you some money back just depending on what your credit card is and who you booked with. All right. I love that. Charge them for necessities. Kristen powers and w ta thanks so much.

Department of Transportation watchdog to investigate flight cancellations and delays

The Department of Transportation’s internal watchdog said Tuesday it is launching a probe into the spike in flight cancellations and delays that have come in the wake of the pandemic.The Office of the Inspector General audit will focus on the federal agency’s role in these cancellations, rather than the airlines. In a memo, the IG said more than “30,000 of the delayed and cancelled flights were attributable to issues in the National Airspace System such as heavy traffic and air traffic control.”It identified disruptions that took place over the summer and during the Christmas holiday and pointed to staffing and weather as contributing factors. The IG wants to find out both the causes of the delays and cancellations as well as the accuracy of the government’s data around flight disruptions.”We are initiating this audit to inform Congress and the general public about the reported causes of these events. This will be first in a series of audits to understand and evaluate flight delays and cancellations as well as DOT’s actions to address them,” the memo stated.The IG plans to conduct its work at DOT and Federal Aviation Administration headquarters, it said.The IG also announced a separate audit of the FAA’s planned NextGen effort to upgrade the air traffic system, a multibillion-dollar infrastructure program.

The Department of Transportation’s internal watchdog said Tuesday it is launching a probe into the spike in flight cancellations and delays that have come in the wake of the pandemic.

The Office of the Inspector General audit will focus on the federal agency’s role in these cancellations, rather than the airlines. In a memo, the IG said more than “30,000 of the delayed and cancelled flights were attributable to issues in the National Airspace System such as heavy traffic and air traffic control.”

It identified disruptions that took place over the summer and during the Christmas holiday and pointed to staffing and weather as contributing factors. The IG wants to find out both the causes of the delays and cancellations as well as the accuracy of the government’s data around flight disruptions.

“We are initiating this audit to inform Congress and the general public about the reported causes of these events. This will be first in a series of audits to understand and evaluate flight delays and cancellations as well as DOT’s actions to address them,” the memo stated.

The IG plans to conduct its work at DOT and Federal Aviation Administration headquarters, it said.

The IG also announced a separate audit of the FAA’s planned NextGen effort to upgrade the air traffic system, a multibillion-dollar infrastructure program.