Representative Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) is reintroducing bipartisan legislation to reform the process of issuing refunds for canceled flights.
Under current law, travel agencies are often the entities that issue refunds when a customer's flight is canceled, despite such an issue being completely beyond their control.
As a result, Rep. Salazar's Flight Refund Fairness Act requires airlines themselves to reimburse travelers when their flights are canceled.
"Miami is the premier tourism hub and the small businesses that support this industry must be protected," Rep. Salazar said in a statement. "I'm proud to reintroduce the bipartisan Flight Refund Fairness Act, which will remove a regulatory hurdle for small travel advisors that may otherwise jeopardize business operations, while ensuring consumers are able to get any potential refund in a timely manner."
Representative Dina Titus (D-NV),the Co-Chair of the Travel and Tourism Caucus, and one of the bill's cosponsors, noted "the importance of travel advisors to the hospitality industry across the country." Because of that, the Nevada Democrat highlighted that the legislative effort will "protect these small businesses, which continue to help bring more visitors to Southern Nevada to experience everything the Las Vegas Valley has to offer."
Representative Mark Alford (R-MO) also weighed in, commenting that the bill "protects small businesses from the rampant overreach of bureaucrats in Washington. Local travel planners should not be held responsible for flight cancellations caused by large airlines. I'm proud to co-lead this bill to protect Main Street from Washington."
Salazar originally introduced the bill in September with Rep. Titus, and retains support from American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) President & CEO Zane Kerby with its reintroduction.
"Travel advisors are consumer advocates. They navigate complex rules and fight for rightful refunds for their clients," Kerby said in a statement. "But the current regulatory structure threatens the financial viability of many travel agencies – 95 percent of which are small businesses – by placing the refund burdens on agencies."
