Airline summaries have a separate clock

DOT’s April 24, 2026 final rule required covered U.S. and foreign airlines to summarize passenger rights in one page. Although effective May 26, its submission requirement depended on a later notice announcing paperwork approval. The website deadline ran 90 days after a carrier’s submission. This organized existing policies without creating new compensation structures; effect alone did not start the publication clock. ^[1]

This was implementation of an older mandate. Section 429 of the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act called for summaries covering delays, diversions, cancellations, mishandled baggage and boarding disputes. It also specified prominent website placement. The mandate distinguished voluntary surrender of an overbooked seat from involuntary denied boarding and removal for safety or security reasons. Those are different situations within a journey. ^[2]

DOT’s separate oversales explanation illustrates why categories matter. Airlines seek volunteers before involuntarily bumping passengers from an oversold flight. Incentives for volunteering are negotiable, while involuntary compensation depends on conditions and exceptions. A voucher offered to a volunteer and compensation owed after involuntary denied boarding therefore do not describe the same decision or payment. ^[3]

About this item: Retrospective report. No first-hand reporting or independent testing is claimed. Corrections policy.